Android Advisor Issue 16 - 2015 UK

Published on January 2017 | Categories: Documents | Downloads: 32 | Comments: 0 | Views: 315
of 104
Download PDF   Embed   Report

Comments

Content

LATEST SMARTPHONE, TABLET AND APP REVIEWS

ANDROID

ISSUE

16

ADVISOR

BEST
CAMERA
PHONES

Android takes on iPhone & Windows phone

+ AVOID DATA ROAMING

CHARGES THIS SUMMER

Welcome...
I

f you somehow missed it, Windows 10 is launching
this month for phones, tablets, PCs, laptops and
the Xbox One... Pah! We're more interested in the
new OnePlus phone that was about to be unveiled
as we went to press. OnePlus has already shared
some details of its upcoming 2, which we reveal over
the following pages. It's going to be a monster!
As we were putting together this issue of Android
Advisor from our lovely air-conditioned London
office, we couldn't help noticing that big warm yellow
thing shining through the window. Summer is here at last! And that means one thing: holiday time!
For those who will be doing more than sunbathing
and sipping Sangria we've put together a guide to
the best cameraphones available today, helping you
to create the best photographic mementos of your
travels. See which phone is best on page 16.
Let's face it, most of us won't turn off our phones
and sit back and relax. We'll still be checking our
email inboxes, making sure we're not missing out on
anything our friends are up to on Facebook, catching
up with UK TV and streaming music. So you better
make sure all that online activity won't cost you a
bomb when you return home. Check out our guide
to roaming on page 32.
As always, we hope you’ve enjoyed this issue of
Android Advisor. Feel free to send us your feedback
via facebook.com/AndroidAdvisorUK or email
[email protected].

2 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 16
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 2

14/07/2015 17:05

Coming soon:
OnePlus 2
The new OnePlus phone is launching on 27 July.
Here we look at the already confirmed features

U

nlike most phone launches, OnePlus long
ago confirmed it would be bringing a new
phone to the market this year, and it wasn't
long before we knew it would be the OnePlus 2.
OnePlus is gradually announcing the phone's new
features on social media, including when we'll first
see it, how much it will cost and specifications.
Here we've rounded up all the official details
about the OnePlus 2 so you know what's coming.
ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 3

Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 3

14/07/2015 17:05

We know that the OnePlus 2 will be announced on
27 July and it will be the 'world's first product launch
in VR. The firm has made its own Cardboard for the
event and the 30,000 units have sold out.

The firm has also announced that the OnePlus 2
will cost less than $450, which translates to around
£300 - we reckon the OnePlus 2 will cost £299.
4 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 16
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 4

14/07/2015 17:05

The first specification OnePlus confirmed is a
Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 64-bit octa-core chip.
This is version 2.1 of the chip and the company
promises there won't be any overheating problems.

Next on the list is a USB Type-C port, which is
reversible, charges faster and can even be used
to charge other devices.
ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 5
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 5

14/07/2015 17:05

For security, OnePlus is matching rivals including
Apple and Samsung by putting a fingerprint scanner
on the OnePlus 2. This will presumably be used to
unlock the device and authorise payments.

Finally, the OnePlus 2 will come with a whopping
4GB of RAM, which is the most we've seen in a
phone. This phone will be a powerhouse!
6 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 16
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 6

14/07/2015 17:05

Will I need an invite to buy OnePlus 2?
Yes. Well, officially in any case. OnePlus has now
made the OnePlus One available without an invite
any day of the week, but has at the same time
confirmed that the OnePlus 2 will use the same
invitation-only system.
OnePlus said: "With the experiences we’ve gained
with the One, we will be far more prepared to make
the same transition with the OnePlus 2. Yes, the 2
will initially launch with invites.
"We’re committed to maintaining razor-thin
margins to give as much value as possible back to
our users, and this drastically increases our risk.
"The OnePlus 2 will bring the challenges that
come along with a brand-new product and, initially,
our invite system will help us to manage that risk.
It also helps us to be sure that every OnePlus 2 user
gets the amazing experience that they deserve."
As before with the OnePlus One, however, it will
be possible to buy the OnePlus 2 from a third party.
Geekbuying has already confirmed to us that it will
stock the OnePlus 2 as soon as possible.

OnePlus 2
concept render

ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 7
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 7

14/07/2015 17:05

News: Analysis

Life gets tougher for alternative mobile
OSes Tizen, Firefox and Ubuntu
An increased focus on affordable smartphones running Android
has left smaller operating systems behind

T

he future doesn’t look very bright
right now for alternative mobile
operating systems Firefox OS,
Tizen and Ubuntu.
It’s always been difficult to attract
developers to these platforms, and now
smartphones powered by the OSes are also
falling behind affordable Android devices
on hardware specs. So not only must their
users put up with a smaller selection of
apps, but also with less powerful devices.
Struggling to compete with Apple in the
high-end of the smartphone market, the
Android camp has increasingly turned its
attention to mid-range and low-end products.
While this has been good for consumers
looking for more affordable products, it has
turned up the competitive heat on Firefox
OS, Tizen and Ubuntu.
Case in point: Samsung Electronics’ Tizenbased Z1, which after many delays premiered
this year in India, a country with a low
smartphone penetration. But others also saw
the opportunity, and today competition in
India and many other developing countries is
even more heated than in Europe and the US.
The Z1 has a 1.2GHz dual-core processor
and a 4in, 480x800-pixel screen. There is a
3Mp camera on the back and a VGA camera
on the front. The price tag in India is now
about 5,000 rupees (£51).
For the same money, the new Honor
Bee from Huawei Technologies has a
1.2GHz quad-core and a 4.5in, 480x854pixel screen. The main camera has an 8Mp
resolution and there is a 2Mp for selfies.
The Bee, which runs Android, has twice the
storage at 8GB. Consumers willing to spend
another £30 on a more advanced model get
a bigger HD screen and LTE.
Firefox OS smartphones are also
struggling to compete. Japanese mobile
operator KDDI and LG Electronics have
developed the FxO, a Firefox OS-based
phone with a 4.7in HD screen and LTE. But it
costs Y49,680 (£266), while Android-based
smartphones in the same price range in
Japan offer bigger full-HD screens, faster
processors and more storage.
There are signs that at least Firefox OS
developer Mozilla Foundation and Ubuntu

SamSung Tizen-baSed z1

developer Canonical are trying to step up
hardware efforts.
Mozilla is working to ensure future
Firefox OS smartphones meet or exceed
expectations in terms of performance
and reliability, at all price points, CEO
Chris Beard said in a recent email to the
community. As part of this reboot, Mozilla
CTO Andreas Gal, who co-created Firefox OS
and wrote the first lines of code, is leaving
Mozilla this week. The push to build £25
smartphones hasn’t been as successful as
the organization had hoped. The lesson
is that Firefox OS phones have to offer
something more than just a low price.
Meanwhile, Canonical is working with
Spanish hardware maker BQ on a highend Ubuntu-based smartphone designed
to double as a PC when connected to an
external screen and keyboard, according
to Cristian Parrino, vice president of Mobile
and Online Services at Canonical.
It will also be the first Ubuntu device
that’s not based on a previously released
Android smartphone. “For once we’d like to
come out with a device at the same time as
it comes out on Android,” Parrino said.
For example, BQ launched recently its
second device running Canonical’s OS, the
€200 (£143) Aquaris E5 HD Ubuntu Edition,
whose Android edition started shipping
last year. The smartphone has a 5in HD
screen, a 13Mp rear camera and a 5Mp front

camera. While the launch is a step in the
right direction, the smartphone lacks LTE
and features a low-end quad-core 1.3GHz
Cortex-A7 processor from MediaTek.
One development that would help all the
OSes is wider support from smartphone
manufacturers, but up and coming vendors
such as Xiaomi and India’s Micromax
Informatics have showed little interest in the
newcomers, preferring Android instead.
Xiaomi has its own MIUI user interface
and Micromax is collaborating with
Cyanogen. The alternative operating
systems don’t have enough scale. When
even Microsoft is struggling to compete,
it’s hard to see how the smaller platforms
can make a difference, Micromax
chairman Sanjay Kapoor said in an
interview earlier this year.
To help with growth, Samsung has
installed Tizen on smartwatches and TVs.
The latter is a product category Mozilla is
going after, as well. Panasonic has started
rolling out its first Firefox OS Viera TVs.
Success won’t come easier in these two
sectors, but it could help raise the profile
of the two operating systems.
Still, with a combined market share of
less than 0.4 percent, all three operating
systems face an uphill battle, and if they
disappear, it would be a loss for consumers,
because it would mean less competitive
pressure for Apple and Google.

September 2015 www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news 15

8 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 16
014_015 Analysis 242.indd 15

Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 8

13/07/2015 17:27

14/07/2015 17:05

News: Analysis

5G networks look to new frequencies
to deliver gigabit speeds

The telecommunications industry is looking for new frequencies in which
to operate a new generation of mobile networks

I

f operators are to build 5G mobile
networks with download speeds at
10Gb/s and above, they are going
to need a lot more spectrum, but getting it
won’t be easy.
The amount of spectrum allocated to
5G will determine how fast networks based
on the technology will eventually become.
Until recently, only frequencies below 6GHz
have been considered for mobile networks,
mostly because they are good for covering
large areas. But there’s now a growing
need to unlock new spectrum bands in
the 6- to 100GHz range too, attendees
at the recent LTE and 5G World Summit
conferences in Amsterdam heard.
The use of spectrum in these bands is
immensely important for 5G networks to be
able to offer multiple gigabits per second,
Robert DiFazio, chief engineer at wireless
R&D company InterDigital Communications,
said. By raising communication speeds, they
are also expected to help lower latency in
mobile networks.
Even though spectrum from 6- to
100GHz won’t be used in cellular access
networks for at least another five years,
vendors are keen to show they can handle all
the technical challenges those frequencies
present. The development of WiGig, which
uses the 60GHz band, has already showed
that using such high frequencies works, and
on the show floor in Amsterdam, Huawei

Technologies and Samsung Electronics both
talked up pilot studies of other technologies
they have conducted.
For the potential of spectrum above 6GHz
to be realised, a new generation of antennas
will be required, capable of directing multiple
beams of data to different users at the same
time. New systems will likely also need new
modulation schemes to encode the data on
the radio waves more efficiently.
There are ways for mobile networks
to increase download speeds using
existing spectrum, including using carrier
aggregation or sharing spectrum with Wi-Fi
networks. But at the end of the day, none of
these options come close to the potential
that as-yet-unused frequency bands above
6GHz offer. There is nowhere else to go but
up, according to Samsung.
Rolling out networks isn’t just about
hardware and software, according to
regulators. “We have made clear our
intention to make large quantities of
spectrum available in these frequencies,
which is increasingly also the view of other
regulators around the world,” said Andrew
Hudson, director of spectrum policy at
British regulator Ofcom, who spoke on the
subject at the Amsterdam conference.
The current focus of Ofcom’s work isn’t
whether to make spectrum available, but
how to identify the best spectrum in this
range. This involves finding bands with a

combination of good physical characteristics
and good prospects for international
harmonization, while taking into account
current use, according to Hudson.
A final decision on what – if any – bands
will be allocated isn’t expected until 2019.
After technical and regulatory challenges
have been overcome, the networks also
have to be rolled out. If extreme speeds
are the upside of frequencies over 6GHz,
poor coverage is the downside. These
high frequencies don’t have good reach
and aren’t very much use if you want
to penetrate walls. To get around these
weaknesses, mobile operators will have
to install lots of smaller base stations,
but finding enough places to put even
the current generation of small-cell base
stations has already proved difficult.
So taking full advantage of spectrum
bands above 6GHz won’t be easy, but
if equipment and device vendors want
5G to become something more than an
incremental upgrade over the LTE networks
that exist in 2020, all technical and political
challenges have to be overcome.
The first commercial networks using
5G technologies are expected to go live in
2020, but will initially use spectrum below
6GHz because the infrastructure is already
out there for those bands, according to
DeFazio: Networks using the new frequency
bands will only arrive later.

September 2015 www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news 13

ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 9
012_013 Analysis 242.indd 13

Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 9

13/07/2015 17:25

14/07/2015 17:05

News: Analysis

GSM switch off good news for phone
users, not for connected devices

Asian and US operators are more aggressive than their European counterparts

C

arriers around the world are
converging on 2017 as the year to
turn off their GSM networks, with
three operators in Singapore announcing
Monday their plans to reuse their GSM
spectrum for other services.
The end of GSM will free up more
bandwidth for faster 3G and 4G network
technologies – but will also force users of
older connected devices that depend on
GSM networks to upgrade or replace them.
On Monday Singaporean operators M1,
Singtel and StarHub became the latest
operators to set a timetable for turning off
their GSM networks. They will do so on April
1, 2017, following in the footsteps of Telstra
in Australia, which plans to do so by the end
of 2016, and AT&T in the US, which will flip
the switch on 1 January 2017.
For many mobile users, the switch-off
could pass almost unnoticed. Today, the
majority of mobile customers have phones
that also connect to 3G and 4G networks;
only a small percentage of subscribers still
use GSM-only phones, according to the
Singaporean operators. When Telstra made

its announcement last year, it said GSM
accounted for less than 1 percent of traffic.
The reasons for turning off GSM networks
are technical and financial. Turning them
off means the spectrum can be reused by
more efficient 3G and 4G networks, which
can use the same bandwidth to carry more
data or serve more customers – and hence
generate more revenue. Having one less
network to manage should also result in
lower costs for operators.
The rapid pace of phone replacement
means most phones in use are ready for the
switch to 3G or 4G – but that’s not the case
for many connected devices, which tend
to have far longer working lives. Because
of its low cost and good coverage, GSM is
a popular option for so-called machine-tomachine (M2M) connections used to link
vehicles, alarms, vending machines and
a host of other connected devices. There
were about 160 million of them by the end
of last year, according to Machina Research.
A new generation of chipsets is laying the
groundwork for cheaper LTE modems for
such applications, but the majority of M2M

devices shipping today rely on GSM, Machina
Research CEO Matt Hatton explained.
Upgrading the network will be worth
it, though, according to AT&T. The higher
speeds offered by 3G and 4G networks will
enable enterprises to deliver better M2M
applications. For example, video cameras
for real-time streaming and driver dash
cameras for fleet trucks will be possible.
Not all operators are as aggressive in
their plans to turn off GSM. In general,
European operators are being a bit more
cautious. For French network operator
Orange, there will no big switch off, according
to Yves Bellego, director of Technical and
Network Strategy at the French operator.
Norwegian operator Telenor plans to turn off
its 3G network in 2020, and its GSM network
in 2025, it recently announced.
The reticence to make the move isn’t just
down to wanting to support existing M2M
devices. The European operators still have
lucrative roaming businesses and could run
into some regulatory issues if they decide to
turn off GSM networks in the next couple of
years, according to Hatton.

16 www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news September 2015

10 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 16
016_017 Analysis 242.indd 16

Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 10

13/07/2015 17:27

14/07/2015 17:05

NEWSANALYSIS

Meet Fairphone 2: the socially
responsible smartphone

Photography by Fairphone

We report on the Fairphone 2: Fairphone’s second-generation socially
responsible smartphone that will start shipping later this year

F

airphone, the Dutch company that
aims to sell socially responsible
smartphones, is working on a
second model that can be repaired with little
hassle and won’t easily break. The company
is also sticking with its goal of using conflictfree or fair trade minerals.
One of the company’s key aims with the
Fairphone 2 was to extend the longevity of
the product. Making it easy to repair is part
of that. For example, it will be possible to
replace the display on the Fairphone 2 in
less than a minute, the company promises.
After removing the case and battery, the
two clips that lock the display in place are
slid towards each other, and then the entire
unit can be taken out, CTO Olivier Hebert
said in a blog post on Tuesday.
The receiver, rear camera and speaker
units can be repaired with the help of a
screwdriver. To guide users, each unit is
connected to the chassis with a set of
colour-coded screws. Fairphone is betting
that buyers will sacrifice slimness for a
smartphone that’s easier to repair. The
result is a phone that’s 11mm thick.
The hardware architecture also opens the
door for future upgrades. All of the individual
components can be replaced, provided they
fit within the design of the original unit and
can use the existing electrical interfaces.
However, software complexities need to

be addressed for upgrades to be possible,
Hebert said without delving into the details.
A second goal was to build a device
that doesn’t easily break. Most current
smartphones are simply too fragile,
according to Hebert. The Fairphone 2, on
the other hand, should survive a drop of
about 2m on to concrete. The robustness is
in part possible thanks to a rubber rim that
wraps around the screen. Fairphone decided
against making the phone completely sealed
to keep out water and dust, as doing that
conflicted with other design goals, especially
the ability to open and repair the device.
The aim is still to manufacture a
smartphone that doesn’t use minerals from
conflict zones, is recyclable, and is made by
workers who are treated well. The Fairphone
2 will be available for preorder before the
end of August, and then ship during the
following couple of months, the company
said. Pricing wasn’t announced.
Hardware specs include a Qualcomm
Snapdragon 801 processor and a 5in, Full HD
screen. The camera has an 8Mp resolution
and there is 32GB of storage that can be
expanded using a microSD card. The LTE
smartphone also has 2GB of RAM and two
SIM slots. The OS will be Android 5.1.
The first model, of which Fairphone sold
60,000, scored 7 out of 10 for repairability
in a teardown test by repair website iFixit.

Positives included that it’s easy to open
up the device and access the components.
However, the glass is fused to both the
display and the display frame, which
increases repair costs – a mistake that
Fairphone has learned from.
In general, today’s high-end smartphones
are a mixed bag when it comes to ease of
repair. Apple has a reputation for building
products that are difficult to fix, but the
iPhone 6 and 6 Plus both got a 7 out
of 10 score on iFixit. The company still
uses proprietary Pentalobe screws, and
it doesn’t share repair information with
independent repair shops or consumers.
But the display assembly comes out easily
and the battery is easy to access.
For people who want a high-end Android
smartphone that’s easily repaired, the G4
from LG is a good option. It was awarded an
impressive 8 out of 10. The only drawback
is that the glass and LCD will need to be
replaced together if one or the other breaks.
Two other top-of-the-range smartphones,
the Galaxy S6 from Samsung Electronics and
HTC’s One M9, didn’t fair as well, scoring 4
and 2 out of 10, respectively. Strong adhesive
on the rear glass makes it very difficult to
gain entry to the S6’s innards. On the One
M9 adhesives make many components
difficult, and even dangerous, to remove
and replace, iFixit said. J

September 2015 www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news 11

ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 11
010_011 Analysis 242.indd 11

Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 11

13/07/2015 17:24

14/07/2015 17:05

News: Analysis

Xiaomi and Micromax pressure
established smartphone makers
Latest devices have the potential to reset customer expectations

I

ndian smartphone manufacturer
Micromax and Xiaomi from China
have given the low-end market a
shake-up with their latest products, and even
if the devices don’t go on sale around the
world, their launches will be felt globally.
The Micromax Yu Yuphoria the Xiaomi
Mi 4i’s combination of impressive specs
and aggressive pricing will put pressure
on the likes of Samsung and Motorola to
step up their efforts in the segment for
sub-£200 smartphones.
“It’s more pain for the established
vendors. These devices have the potential
to reset customer expectations,” said Ben
Wood, chief of research at CCS Insight.
The Yu Yuphoria was launched recently
in India. It’s an LTE smartphone that will cost
about £72 without a contract in that country.
It has a 5in, 720x1280-pixel screen and a
Snapdragon 410 processor. The specification
also includes an 8Mp main camera and a
5Mp front snapper, as well as 2GB of RAM
and 16GB of integrated storage. While
smartphones in this price category were
once known for their cheap-looking designs,
the Yuphoria has a metal frame to help give
it a more premium feel.
The Xiaomi Mi 4i is more expensive
at around £130, though it offers better
specs. The 5in screen, for example, has
a 1080x1920-pixel resolution, while the
processor is Qualcomm’s more powerful
Snapdragon 615. The main camera has a
13Mp resolution. It, too, has a 5Mp front
snapper, LTE, 16GB of integrated storage
and 2GB of RAM.
The two devices share another common
feature: they leave competing devices in the
dust by offering smartphone buyers a lot
more bang for their buck.
The second-generation Moto G from
Motorola may have a 5in, 720x1280-pixel
screen and an 8Mp camera just like the
Yuphoria. The front camera has, however,
only a 2Mp resolution, the amount of storage
and RAM is half that of the Yuphoria, and
the price tag is still £140. There’s also an LTE

Xiaomi mi 4i
version available in some parts of the world
that makes the price difference even larger.
Samsung’s mid-range smartphones also
come off looking expensive, in comparison.
The Galaxy A5 is just like the Mi 4i, an LTE
smartphone with a 13Mp camera, 16GB of
storage and 2GB of RAM. However, it has
the less powerful Snapdragon 410 under
the hood and the 5in screen isn’t full
HD. Instead, users have to make do with
720x1280 pixels and still pay about £299.

Having the edge
Even if the newcomers offer great specs for
little money, Samsung and Motorola both
think that they have an edge.
“They hope they’ll be able to command a
premium for their brand, but that margin is
being eroded all the time,” Wood explained.
The Yu Yuphoria and the Mi 4i are unlikely
to go on sale in the US and Europe, because
Micromax and Xiaomi continue to focus on
their respective home markets, along with
Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Russia
for Micromax; and India, Taiwan, Singapore,
Malaysia and Indonesia for Xiaomi.

However, the repercussions will likely
result in better products that will go on
sale globally. Samsung is dependent on this
segment of the market to keep its volumes
up, so it must come up with a competitive
response, according to Wood. And the
Korean company sells its products in as
many markets as it possibly can. With the
exception of the second-generation Moto
G with LTE, Motorola has also shipped its
affordable smartphones all over the world.
There are several reasons for the ascent
of Micromax and Xiaomi. The biggest one
is arguably that developing smartphones
has become much easier, and companies
no longer need a big research and
development department.
“Virtually all phones are manufactured
in China or Taiwan, and the ecosystem there
is so ripe that everyone gets access to the
same components and materials,” Sanjay
Kapoor, chairman at Micromax, explained
in an interview earlier this year. “So if you
manage your overheads right, you can
build world-class products.” J

micromaX Yu Yuphoria

August 2015 www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news 21

12 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 16
020_021 Analysis 241.indd 21

Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 12

13/07/2015 17:19

14/07/2015 17:05

News: Analysis

ARM: Smartphone rivalry
drives faster chip development
New mobile chips are now being developing at a yearly pace to
line up with smartphone announcements

H

eated competition in the
smartphone and tablet markets
has required chip makers to speed
up the pace at which they release new
processors, Simon Segars CEO of ARM
revealed in a recent interview.
Following in the footsteps of Apple,
rivals including Samsung and HTC are
upgrading their flagship devices on a
near yearly basis, adding better displays,
faster chips and more memory to entice
customers into buying their products.
The company’s designs the
microprocessors used in most of those
devices, and the increased competition
means it’s having to push out faster, more
power-efficient chips at a quicker pace,
the CEO revealed.
“We’re always going to be looking to
deliver more performance, make the best use
of manufacturing technology... and deliver
better system-wide efficiency,” he added.

Rapid progress
ARM creates chip designs that it licenses
to other companies such as Samsung,
Apple and Qualcomm, who then tweak
those designs for use in phones and tablets.
A recent report from The Linley Group
says that the company is making rapid
progress on its next major processor design,
which could turn out to be the quickest
design upgrade it’s yet produced.
The chip could be rolling off production
lines by the end of next year and appearing
in mobile gadgets soon after that, according
to the report. That would mean it arrives just
a year after its predecessor, the Cortex-A72,
which was announced in March and is
expected in devices at the end of this year.
The A72 also arrived sooner than
expected, but it was a much-needed upgrade
to its predecessor, the Cortex-A57. That
chip was announced in 2012 and took two
years to find its way into mobile devices –
perhaps twice as long as the current chips.
Segars declined to comment on
specific plans for the newest chip, but
he acknowledged that ARM has been
accelerating its design efforts. That’s
possible partly because ARM has more CPU
designers than it had in the past, he said.

Beyond the CPU itself, ARM is looking at
ways to improve memory and to speed up
data exchange between components, he said.
ARM’s yearly upgrade cycle mirrors
that of Apple, which releases new A-series
chips for its iPhones on a similar 12-month
schedule. Apple’s new chips typically include
upgrades for the CPU, connectivity and
graphics components.
The tech industry has grown accustomed
to the pace at which vendors upgrade
PC lines, which happens every 12- to 18
months. ARM is meeting the demands
of a smartphone industry that’s heading
toward a cycle of six months to one year,
explained Dean McCarron, principal analyst
at Mercury Research.

Refresh cycle
The faster refresh cycle is the fruit of
investments ARM made a few years back
to help it stay ahead of Intel, its primary
competitor, McCarron added. Intel’s
smartphone chips are used in just a few

handsets, but two years ago the company
said it would upgrade its mobile chips faster
in an effort to break ARM’s dominance.
In 2014, Intel released new Atom chips
codenamed Merrifield and Moorefield, and
earlier this year it shipped chips codenamed
Sofia for low-end smartphones. The Sofia
processors were made in conjunction with
Chinese company Rockchip, which has
experience turning around processor designs
in a matter of months, McCarron argued.
Next year, Intel will ship a high-end Atom
chip called Broxton, which has a modular
design that allows Intel to modify the chip
and deliver updates at a faster pace. Broxton
supports Intel’s larger plan to deliver products
that can be customised more easily, making
its model more similar to that of ARM.
For now, the intense competition
has resulted in new chips coming to
market more quickly, but designing and
manufacturing chips is a complex business,
and it remains to be seen how long the
yearly upgrade cycle will continue. J

August 2015 www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news 23

ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 13
022_023 Analysis 241.indd 23

Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 13

13/07/2015 17:21

14/07/2015 17:05

News: Analysis

Fingerprint sensors on their
way to more smartphones
Cheaper sensors and broader software support will make fingerprint authentication
more accessible to app developers and service providers, reveals Mikael Ricknäs

F

ingerprint authentication will
become a lot more common on
smartphones of all prices as sensors
get cheaper, and Google’s integration of the
technology in the next version of Android will
make it much easier for app developers and
service providers to make use of them.
Today, fingerprint sensors are mainly
available on high-end models from Apple and
Samsung Electronics. But that is about to
change, according to sensor manufacturers
Synaptics and Fingerprint Cards.
The latter has seen a growing interest
in its technology from smartphone
manufacturers in recent months, as well as
a strong increase in orders. As a result, the
company has raised its revenue estimate
for the year from about 1.5bn- (£115m) to
2.2bn Swedish Krona (£191m).
“This market is really starting to take off,”
said Jürgen Lantto, CEO at Fingerprint Cards,
who anticipates that half of all smartphones
sold next year will have the feature.
Fingerprint Cards sensors are already
used in the Ascend Mate 7 from Huawei
Technologies and Oppo’s R7 Plus, which
was launched in May. Synaptics, which
makes the sensor in the Samsung Galaxy
S6 and S6 Edge, is equally sure that
smartphones with fingerprint sensors
will become more popular.

“The market is hot, and the adoption
rate across a broader range of products
will grow faster now,” said Anthony Gioeli,
vice president of marketing for Synaptics
biometrics business unit.
Google adding native support for
fingerprint sensors in Android M is a major
reason why the technology has started
to take off on a larger scale. The native
support will make it easier for smartphone
manufacturers to integrate fingerprint
sensors in their devices. It will also make life
easier for developers, who can use Android
APIs to integrate fingerprint recognition
in their apps instead proprietary ones
developed by the sensor makers, Lantto said.
Developments on the hardware side
are also lowering the bar for fingerprint
recognition. Prices have come down by
about 25 percent in the past year, and
they will continue to drop as volumes
increase, Gioeli said. It’s already possible
to build a £75 smartphone with fingerprint
recognition, according to Lantto.
The launch of the iPhone 5s with Touch
ID proved to be a blessing and a curse, at
least a short-term one. On the plus side,
it helped increased awareness. But many
competing smartphone vendors wanted a
touch sensor, just like Apple had got from
its 2012 acquisition of AuthenTec, instead

of the swipe sensors Fingerprint Cards and
Synaptics had developed. It took six- to nine
months to regroup, Lantto said.
Beyond Apple and Samsung, many
Chinese vendors have been adding
fingerprint sensors to their smartphones.
Huawei will certainly offer it in more future
models, according to a spokesman at the
company. Using fingerprints as opposed to
PINs or patterns has proved ideal for heavy
smartphone users, he said. Fingerprint
Cards has recently added Yulong and
Gionee to its list of customers.
Many of the more established vendors,
such as LG Electronics and Sony, are still on
the fence. HTC recently launched the One
M9+ for the Chinese market.
Mobile payments will also likely
help fuel the availability of fingerprint
recognition on more devices. If Google
wants its upcoming Android Pay service
to take off, it needs to convince more
vendors to integrate the technology.
Allowing Google to offer the same
functionality as Apple Pay. Just adding
fingerprint recognition to this year’s Nexus
smartphones won’t be enough. The same
goes for Samsung. If the company wants
Samsung Pay to be successful, more devices
than the Galaxy S and Note products will
need to be equipped with the technology.

14 www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news September 2015

14 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 16
014_015 Analysis 242.indd 14

Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 14

13/07/2015 17:26

14/07/2015 17:05

NEWSVIEWPOINT

Saving lives with wearable tech
We reveal how we could be using wearable tech to help the elderly and save lives

F

or many consumers, wearable tech
is still a gimmick, sitting somewhere
between the realm of trendy fashion
items, kids’ toys and fitness accessories.
For years its role focused on the
lucrative fitness markets, meaning it has
largely missed out on opportunities to offer
positives in healthcare and law enforcement.
It’s no real surprise, as the value of wearable
tech in the fitness market alone could exceed
$16.1bn this year, but around a third of people
buying a wearable product will likely abandon
it within six months. Suggesting a new
approach is needed to ensure consumers
continually use their products.
UK police have been wearable video
recording devices for the past 10 years and
the New York Police Department have been
piloting Google Glass since last year, largely
due to an increased need for accountability –
highlighting two great examples of extremely
positive uses of wearable technology.
Volkswagen recently announced an app
for the Apple Watch allowing parents to
monitor the driving habits of their teenage
children. Car-Net offers automatic incident

notifications, roadside assistance and the
‘Family Guardian,’ which notifies parents
when the driver exceeds the speed limit.
The US and Japan have so far led the
way on developing and adopting wearable
tech in healthcare, aimed at helping
chronically ill and older people. In the UK,
however, the elderly are only now being
properly included in the debate.
Wearable technology has a huge part
to play in helping people in later life, but
it will be up to developers to capitalise on
this and appeal to the older demographic.
Panic buttons, wearable emergency call
bracelets and neck chains already save
lives and are vital for older people living
on their own. This technology, however,
has been around for a long time and has
far-reaching potential; helping the elderly
live longer and more independently, a
trend often called ‘aging in place.’
Auto-dialling panic alarms fitted into
the phone, can then by activated by Wi-Fi
pendants, which are cheap and useful. A step
up is fall-detection systems, that use ceiling
mounted optical and acoustic sensors to

detect motion in the room. It can then phone
an emergency number for assistance and
is enhanced by a voice-activated function
asking the user how they are feeling. If
they respond, the alarm will cancel, so it
won’t go off if they decide to just take a nap.
For older people, the cost of going into
a home can be startling. Residential care
for older people costs tens of thousands
of pounds each year, and anything that
can help them stay in their own home for
longer can only be a positive thing.
Wearable technology has a huge part to
play in helping them in later life and it will
be up to the developers to help capitalise
on this and prove it can play a key role in
benefiting lives. Whether it’s reminding
someone to take medication, monitoring
their sleep patterns, knee braces with
stress sensors or movement recorders, the
potential of wearable tech in healthcare is
vast. Technology developers clearly want
to target lucrative markets and fitness
certainly is that, but as the population
ages, more people could benefit from a
refreshed focus from developers.

September 2015 www.pcadvisor.co.uk/reviews 9

ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 15
009 Rowena Heal 242.indd 9

Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 15

13/07/2015 17:23

14/07/2015 17:05

GROUP TEST

Photography by Dominik Tomaszewski

these days being able to take decent photos is a must for smartphones. With
this in mind, we put nine flagship models through their paces to find out which
performs best for photos, videos, selfies, macro and in low light

or many people, a phone’s cameras
are one of the biggest priorities
when choosing a new handset.
Since you carry your phone everywhere,
you’re more likely to use it to take photos
than a separate camera. Thanks to the fact
that phones have become rather talented at
taking photos and videos, they might even
be better quality than your current camera.
There are, of course, a few downsides,
one of which is that you won’t get a zoom
lens for getting in close when you can’t
physically move. Even the best phone
cameras struggle to match the quality

F

of even a budget DSLR lens because they’re
so small, and you’ll only be able to get
blurred backgrounds using software effects.
However, phones have their own special
effects. They vary from model to model, but
you can expect to find burst shooting, slo-mo
video, time-lapse, automatic selfie capture
when you smile or say “cheese”, and even
light painting on the new Huawei P8.
We’ve gathered together as many of the
latest flagships as we could lay our hands
on, including the Samsung Galaxy S6, LG G4,
Huawei P8 and both of the current iPhones,
so you can see how their cameras perform

in good light outdoors, poor light indoors,
in close-ups, for video and also for selfies
using the front camera.
Around half of the phones here can
shoot video at 4K, though you’ll need a 4K
monitor to view the video clips at their full
detail. However, you’ll still benefit from the
extra resolution even on a 1080p screen,
but beware that you need a fairly powerful
laptop or PC to play back 4K video smoothly.
Note that the Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact
share the same front and rear cameras, so
you can use the photo examples here to
judge both phones.

16 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 16
92 Advisor
www.pcadvisor.co.uk/reviews
Android
Issue 16.indd 16 September 2015

14/07/2015 17:05
TEST CENTRE

GROUP TEST

caMera speciFications

iphone 6

Main
caMera
resolution

Front
caMera
resolution

Video (Max.
resolution)

optical
stabilisation (ois)

Flash

dedicated caMera
button

8Mp

1.2Mp

1080p at 60fps

No

Dual-tone LED

No
No

iphone 6 plus

8Mp

1.2Mp

1080p at 60fps

Yes

Dual-tone LED

Google nexus 6

13Mp

2Mp

2160p at 30fps

No

Dual-LED ring

No

htc one M9

20Mp

4Mp

2160p at 30fps

No

Dual-tone LED

No

huawei p8

13Mp

8Mp

1080p at 30fps

No

Dual-LED

No

lG G4

16Mp

8Mp

2160p at 30fps

Yes

LED

No

nokia lumia 930

20Mp

1.2Mp

2160p at 30fps

Yes

Dual-LED

Yes

samsung Galaxy s6

16Mp

5Mp

2160p at 30fps

Yes

LED

No

20.7Mp

2.2Mp

2160p at 30fps

No

LED

Yes

sony xperia Z3
compact

ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 17
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd
17 CENTRE
TEST

14/07/2015
September 2015 www.pcadvisor.co.uk/reviews
93

17:05

Group test: Smartphone cameras

OUTDOOR photo

Apple iPhone 6
Most phone cameras excel in bright conditions and low
contrast, so it’s no surprise to see the iPhone 6 performing
well here. We also like the aspect ratio and wide-angle lens.

Apple iPhone 6 Plus
There’s little to choose between the two iPhones here.

Google Nexus 6
The Nexus 6’s white balance is a bit off, leading to a coolerlooking photo compared to the warm iPhones. Where it shines
is the high-resolution sensor which captures lots of sharp
detail, and the lens is sharp to the edges.

1894ANDROID
ADVISOR • ISSUE
16 2015
www.pcadvisor.co.uk/reviews
September
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 18
092_105 Group Test Smartphone.indd 94-95

TEST CENTRE
14/07/2015 17:06

Group test: Smartphone cameras

HTC One M9

Nokia Lumia 930

Worse than the Nexus 6’s auto white balance is the One M9’s. It has
also blown out the highlights in the clouds. Aside from this, though,
it’s a nice sharp image with lots of detail.

As with the 930’s other photos, this one exhibits slight
underexposure and a bit too much contrast - made obvious when you
compare it to the Galaxy S6. The white balance isn’t right either.

Samsung Galaxy S6
Huawei P8
This is a well-exposed image with reasonably accurate colours. The
wide field of view means it captures more than most phones, too.
Plus, there’s very little evidence of compression artifacts with plenty
of detail in the brickwork of St Pancras hotel.

If we had to pick a winner for the St Pancras photo, this would be
it. Despite having a 16:9 sensor, the wide-angle lens means more of
the scene is captured than the LG G4, and there’s more sharp detail
throughout the photo. White balance is also spot on.

LG G4

Sony Xperia Z3 Compact

Exposure and white balance are good, and we marvelled at the
level of detail in the 16Mp image when zooming to 100 per cent.
We’d prefer something other than a 16:9 sensor, but there’s enough
resolution to crop off the sides and still end up with plenty of detail.

A slightly cool white balance, but the Z3 Compact does a good job
in bright light. The image is well exposed and nice and sharp. At
100 percent there’s evidence of compression, but most people will
be happy with the Z3’s performance.

TEST CENTRE
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 19

ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 19

September 2015 www.pcadvisor.co.uk/reviews 95

14/07/2015 17:06
13/07/2015 16:57

Group test: Smartphone cameras

OUTDOOR photo

iPhone 6
One of the iPhone’s strengths is that colour accuracy is always
excellent. There’s a lack of detail when you zoom in due to the lowresolution sensor, but they’re fine for printing out or sharing online.

Apple iPhone 6 Plus
The 6 Plus excels in good light, with sharp detail and fantastic colour
accuracy. The default camera app also has an automatic HDR mode,
which increases the dynamic range for high-contrast scenes.

Google Nexus 6
It doesn’t have the bright greens of the iPhone photos, but
the Nexus 6 does a decent job here. Highlights are clipped,
but it’s far from the worst photo in this group.

20 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 16

96 www.pcadvisor.co.uk/reviews September 2015

Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 20
092_105 Group Test Smartphone.indd 96-97

TEST CENTRE
14/07/2015 17:06

Group test: Smartphone cameras

HTC One M9

Nokia Lumia 930

On its own, you’d be hard pushed to criticise the One M9’s park
photo. It’s well exposed and only when you zoom in do you notice the
slightly soft focus. But again, there’s a colour cast that turns the path
here almost beige when it should be grey.

The 930 appears to have a limited dynamic range given that the sky
is blown out, yet the trees appear as if the photo was taken when
the sun went in. But as you can see from the shadows on the path,
conditions were the same for the other cameras.

Samsung Galaxy S6
Huawei P8
In attempting to avoid losing detail in darker areas, the P8 has over
exposed this photo and the clouds are blown out and lack detail.
White balance and detail are both good though.

Once again, the S6 flexes its photographic muscles and delivers a
stunning photo with great colours, lots of sharp detail and good
dynamic range. Yes, the clouds are blown out, but no phone’s
camera here can do better without using its HDR mode.

LG G4

Sony Xperia Z3 Compact

The G4 has also blown out the clouds, but as with the Huawei P8,
it’s still a pleasing photo with accurate colours. At 100 percent, details
are a little sharper than the P8’s, too.

The Z3 again shows that it can’t keep up with the best here. The
photo is fractionally overexposed and white balance is on the cool
side. Detail levels and sharpness are impressive, though.

TEST CENTRE
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 21

ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 21

September 2015 www.pcadvisor.co.uk/reviews 97

14/07/2015 17:06
13/07/2015 16:57

Group test: Smartphone cameras

Macro photo

Apple iPhone 6
It doesn’t have the best macro capabilities of our group of phones
here, but the iPhone 6 can easily hold its own. Details are sharp
and – just as importantly – colours are wonderful.

Apple iPhone 6 Plus
Once more, it’s virtually a carbon copy of the iPhone 6, and we’re
more than happy with the iPhone 6’s macro photo

Google Nexus 6
The Nexus 6’s macro photo shows poor white balance, but it’s able to
focus slightly closer than the iPhones.

22 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 16

98 www.pcadvisor.co.uk/reviews September 2015

Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 22
092_105 Group Test Smartphone.indd 98-99

TEST CENTRE
14/07/2015 17:06

Group test: Smartphone cameras

HTC One M9

Nokia Lumia 930

Not a bad photo at all from the HTC, although it isn’t the sharpest
photo in the group.

The Nokia 930 can’t focus as close as the rest of the group, but its
macro photo is sharp and well exposed.

Huawei P8

Samsung Galaxy S6

The P8 almost managed to focus as close as the LG G4, but it’s hard
to tell when it’s in focus using the stock camera app. Highlights on
the petals are clipped, too.

It can’t match the LG here, but the Galaxy S6 yet again proves it can
capture sharp detail and sumptuous colours.

LG G4

Sony Xperia Z3 Compact

The G4 impressed us with its macro abilities: focus is crisp and the
delicate pink petals are perfectly exposed.

White balance is a problem for the Z3, and it can’t focus particularly
close either. Detail levels aren’t as good as the Samsung or LG either.

TEST CENTRE
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 23

ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 23

September 2015 www.pcadvisor.co.uk/reviews 99

14/07/2015 17:06
13/07/2015 16:57

Group test: Smartphone cameras

Low-light photo

Apple iPhone 6
Low light is one of the areas where you can clearly see the difference
in the capabilities of the two iPhones’ cameras. It isn’t as obvious
unless you zoom in and look at the images at 100 percent, but
suffice to say that the 6 simply isn’t as good as the 6 Plus.

Apple iPhone 6 Plus
Aside from the muted colours, this is a good result. There’s very
little noise – far less than the LG G4 – but the photo isn’t as sharp.

Google Nexus 6
You might think we haven’t tried hard enough with the Nexus 6,
but no matter what we did, we couldn’t get a sharp photo in these
lighting conditions. It does a good job of suppressing noise, though.

24 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 16

100 www.pcadvisor.co.uk/reviews September 2015

Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 24

TEST CENTRE
14/07/2015 17:06

Group test: Smartphone cameras

HTC One M9

Nokia Lumia 930

The M9 doesn’t embarrass itself in low light thanks to great colour
reproduction. However, zoom in and you’ll see details are smeary,
which appears to be due to over-enthusiastic noise reduction.

Once again a little underexposed, but the 930 is eminently capable in
low light. Details are sharp and there’s hardly any noise.

Huawei P8

Samsung Galaxy S6

Not a great show from the P8 again. Colours are undersaturated
and there’s evidence of heavy-handed noise reduction when you
zoom in, meaning detail levels are reduced.

A little soft, but overall a respectable result from the Samsung.
Colours are good and there’s very little noise.

LG G4

Sony Xperia Z3 Compact

The G4 almost aces this test, delivering a sharp photo with amazing
colours. The only niggle is noise, which is evident when you zoom
in, but it’s much harder to see when looking at the overall photo.
A fantastic effort here.

The Z3 Compact isn’t great in low light. The colours are a bit
undersaturated, but the biggest issue that focus is very soft and
therefore there’s a distinct lack of sharp detail.

TEST CENTRE
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 25

ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 25

September 2015 www.pcadvisor.co.uk/reviews 101

14/07/2015 17:06

Group test: Smartphone cameras

Selfie

Apple iPhone 6
In selfie land, the iPhones show their weakness: the low-resolution
1.2Mp camera. Although well exposed, there’s a distinct lack of detail.

Apple iPhone 6 Plus
As you’d expect, you get the same result with the iPhone 6 Plus as it
has an identical front camera.

26 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 16

102 www.pcadvisor.co.uk/reviews September 2015

Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 26

TEST CENTRE
14/07/2015 17:06

Group test: Smartphone cameras

Google Nexus 6

Huawei P8

A pretty good result from the Nexus 6’s front camera, with good skin
tones and detail.

An overly sharp shot from the P8, with unflattering skin tones.

HTC One M9

LG G4

The One M9’s selfie is pretty good, with warm skin tones and
enough sharp detail without bringing out skin textures (wrinkles,
pimples, freckles) you might rather stay hidden.

Oddly the G4 defaults to a mirrored mode, which is why this photo is
flipped vertically. Skin tones are excellent.

TEST CENTRE
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 27

ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 27

September 2015 www.pcadvisor.co.uk/reviews 103

14/07/2015 17:06

Group test: Smartphone cameras

Selfie (continued)

Samsung Galaxy S6
This was taken with the S6’s Beauty mode at level 2 (fairly low), but
it still smooths out detail too much for our liking. The S6 has a very
capable front camera, however.

Nokia Lumia 930

Sony Xperia Z3 Compact

Another underexposed photo from the Lumia 930. Skin tones are
good, but the 1.2Mp resolution means there’s not much detail.

A dismal, ghostly effort from the Z3 here.

28 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 16

104 www.pcadvisor.co.uk/reviews September 2015

Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 28
092_105 Group Test Smartphone.indd 104-105

TEST CENTRE
14/07/2015 17:06

Group test: Smartphone cameras

VIDEO
Apple iPhone 6

HTC One M9

Considering it has no optical stabilisation
and is limited to 1080p, the iPhone 6’s
footage is very good. It has a good level
of detail, but more importantly it doesn’t
struggle to focus thanks to its magical
Focus Pixels and has natural-looking colours

This was the most disappointing 4K
footage. Not only does the HTC One M9
lack stabilisation, which led to shaky video
– don’t forget this will be magnified on
a large TV – but it also showed up poor
white balance with a strange magenta cast.

Apple iPhone 6 Plus

Huawei P8

No surprise that the 6 Plus’s footage is
virtually identical to the 6’s. The advantage is
that it has optical stabilisation, which gives a
more cinematic feel, just as Apple claims.

The P8’s video is much poorer than we’d
expected. It’s limited to 1080p but even
so, there’s much less detail than the
iPhone 6 and 6 Plus capture.

Google Nexus 6

LG G4

Like all phones capable of shooting 4K
video, the Nexus 6 captures a lot of detail
considering how highly it compresses
footage. While exposure and colour
accuracy are good, it was annoying that
the camera kept refocusing even though
we weren’t moving the phone.

The best on test for video, capturing loads
of sharp detail and overcoming shaky
hands thanks to great stabilisation.

capture 4K at 30fps with the update, though.
Even so, the 1080p footage was mediocre
at best. There was a surprising lack of detail
and colours weren’t as natural as we’d like.

Samsung Galaxy S6
The Samsung Galaxy S6 comes in a close
second to the G4 here. Its 4K video looks
great on a large TV, with realistic, life-like
colours and good stabilisation.

Sony Xperia Z3 Compact
The Z3 Compact’s 4K footage is also detailed
but the lack of stabilisation lets it down.

Nokia Lumia 930
Our 930 didn’t have the Denim update, so
was limited to shooting at 1080p. It can

See PC Advisor online to watch the videos:
tinyurl.com/opq2ghj

Verdict
There are two clear winners here: the LG
G4 and Samsung Galaxy S6. Both take
excellent photos and videos, and are also
great phones. If you want us to declare
only one winner, then the G4 narrowly pips
the S6 to the post by virtue of its excellent
three-axis stabilisation.
There’s a lot more to consider than just
photo and video quality when picking the
best phone camera, of course. The screen
resolution and brightness play a part, as
does the camera app itself, which determines
the features and settings on offer.
Only two phones here have dedicated
shutter buttons: the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact
and Nokia Lumia 930. However, neither can
challenge the best cameras here, so it isn’t a
reason to choose them instead.
Naturally, you shouldn’t only consider
the camera when buying a phone: the
operating system, screen size, battery life
and price will also be factors.
We can’t tell you which phone is best for
you, but hopefully these comparisons have
proved helpful in making your choice.

TEST CENTRE
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 29

How we tested
To make this comparison fair, we set up
each phone to the highest resolution
available for photos and videos. We also
took each shot within a minute or so of
each other to ensure lighting conditions
were as similar as possible.
All photos and videos were taken
handheld, rather than on a tripod because
that’s how you’ll use the phone in real life.
It also allowed stabilisation systems to
prove their worth, and we ensured they
were all turned on where present. We
selected automatic modes and didn’t tap
the screen to choose focus or exposure
since none of our test shots was designed
to trick the cameras: they should all
perform well with automatic exposure.
Again, most people will rely on auto mode
to capture the moment.
As you can see in our shot of St
Pancras, the field of view varies between
phones. These were all taken from
precisely the same spot, so it’s easy to
see which have 16:9 and which have 4:3
sensors. In each case, we made sure we
used the highest resolution available –

many Android phones default to 16:9,
which chops the top and bottom off the
photo for phones with 4:3 sensors. (Note,
we made a mistake with the HTC One M9,
shooting at 16:9 instead of 10:7 because
it isn’t obvious which is the highest
resolution. Rather than reshooting later
in different light conditions, we decided to
use the cropped images instead)
One of the most interesting
observations during the test was how
much the experience of taking photos
and videos differed with each phone.
For example, the Samsung Galaxy S6’s
bright AMOLED screen made it easy to
frame photos in sunny conditions.
The LG G4’s screen wasn’t as easy
to see, but the extra resolution meant
it was easy to see whether a macro photo
would be blurry or not before taking
the shot. By contrast, the Z3 Compact’s
720p screen made it impossible as the
detail simply wasn’t there.
All the photos in this group test
can be viewed on the PC Advisor website
at tinyurl.com/opq2ghj.

ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 29

September 2015 www.pcadvisor.co.uk/reviews 105

14/07/2015 17:06
13/07/2015 16:57

FEATURE

co
w
ha

tim
14
an
an
fir
an
ne
U
co
tig
au

ANDROID M

iOS 9 vs Android M

With new versions of iOS and Android due this autumn, we’ve decided to compare the two
n June, Apple announced iOS 9,
the next-generation of its iPhone
and iPad operating system. It will
go head-to-head with Google’s Android M at
the top of the Android phones and tablets
market, so we decided to compare and
contrast the two leading mobile platforms.

I

Release date
We now know definitively that both iOS 9
and Android M are in the works. What we
don’t know is when exactly they will launch.
But we can make some good guesses: iOS 9
will launch in ‘Fall 2015’, according to Apple.
It wasn’t specific because it doesn’t want to
give away the date of the next iPhone and
iPad launches, which will likely be the same
day. But expect a new OS in September 2015.
Meanwhile, at I/O 2015 Google unveiled
an Android M Developer Preview, confirming
the existence of the next flagship Android
OS. The final version of Android M will launch
with a new Nexus phone in October or
November this year. But unlike iOS, we won’t

then see a rapid roll out to all compatible
devices: Android M will appear first on other
Nexus devices, and within a few months make
the move to flagship phones and tablets
made by third-party OEMs such as Samsung,
LG and Sony. Unless you are a Nexus guy,
don’t expect to get Android M on your
device until late 2015 or even early 2016.

Betas
For the first time I can remember, Apple is
running a public beta of its iOS update. You
can try out the iOS 9 beta in a few months,
but you can sign up now by signing up at
beta.apple.com. Developers can download the
first beta of iOS 9 immediately, though.
Similarly, if you want to get your hands
on Android M now, you can download the
Android M Developer Preview, but only if
you have a Nexus 5, 6, 9 or Player. As with
the iPhone equivalent, it should be said that
developer preview software is really only for,
er, developers. Expect bugs and frequent
updates, as well as missing features.

As with the iPhone equivalent, it should be said that developer
preview software is really only for, er, developers. Expect bugs
and frequent updates, as well as missing features

Compatibility
This is one of the fundamental differences
between iOS and Android. Because Apple
makes both software and hardware, it rolls
out its new software in a quick and efficient
manner. Thus every iPhone and iPad that
now runs iOS 8 will be able to upgrade to
iOS 9, the day it comes out. And unlike
previous iOS updates, Apple promises that
this time around, the update file won’t be as
big as your iPhone’s available storage. Older
iPhones won’t all get some features, though.
(If your phone doesn’t have an NFC chip, you
won’t be able to use Apple Pay, for instance.)
Android M’s compatibility will be more
scattered. Because Google can make the
software available to its OEM partners, but
they are not forced to push the upgrade out
to end users. So while Nexus devices are
pretty much guaranteed an over the air (OTA)
upgrade to Android M, those with phones
made by other people have no guarantee.
However, if you have a flagship phone from
2014 or 2015, it is most unlikely you won’t get
the upgrade at some point.

Pa
A
pr
w
th
th

A
co
sh
ba
Eu
ta
yo

N

Le
fe
of
of
de

pr
to
fu
ha
is
Sp
su
ap
yo
bo

Apple Pay vs Android Pay

to
al
th

Both iOS 9 and Android M share one major
new feature: NFC-enabled contactless
payments. With Apple Pay and Android Pay,
you will be able to use your phone like a

M
so
th

30 ANDROID
ADVISOR • ISSUE 16
106 www.pcadvisor.co.uk/features
September 2015
Android
Advisor Issue 16.indd 30
106_107 iOS 9 and Android M.indd 106-107

of
be
W
na
ba
te
M
W

14/07/2015 17:06

FEATURE
contactless credit or debit card. (Your wallet
will now have a battery life, but at least you
have to carry only one device.)
Apple Pay is first out of the blocks. At the
time of writing, it was due to hit the UK on
14 July, with support from eight major banks
and retailers such as Costa, Boots, Waitrose
and the London Underground. Apple Pay
first launched in the US on 20 October 2014
and now it is coming here. This despite a
new set of regulations from the European
Union Council of Ministers that some thought
could throw a spanner in the works. (These
tighter regulations could require additional
authorisation processes.)
Despite this, Apple said that 70 percent
of credit- and debit cards in the UK will
be supported by Apple Pay at launch. At
WWDC 2015, it showed a graphic which
name-checked all the major high street
banks, with the exception of Barclays. In
terms of retailers, the original list includes
McDonalds, Lidl, Marks & Spencer, Boots,
Waitrose and Costa Coffee.
This is very much a score for Apple
Pay, as there is no news as yet as to when
Android Pay will make it to the UK. At
present all Google has said is that the service
will be launching in the next few months,
though this will apply to the US rather, with
the UK to follow some time later.
At the Google I/O presentation in which
Android Pay was announced all of the
companies listed as partners – either banks,
shops, or mobile phone carriers – were USbased, and there was no mention of a UK or
European version. It will happen, but it will
take a while. So if contactless payments is
your thing, the iPhone is the device for you.

New features
Let’s take a look at some of the other new
features that may tempt you into the arms
of either iOS 9 or Android M. Key features
of iOS 9 include a major Siri update and
deep-links in search results.
Apple says it has made Siri more
proactive. The new features are intended
to give iPhone users the same sort of
functionality as Android owners already
have in Google Now. And this new proactivity
isn’t only part of Siri but also of search.
Spotlight search will display information
such as imminent events from the Calendar
app, locations nearby that might interest
you, boarding passes for flights you’ll be
boarding that day and more.
Split-screen multitasking is part of iOS 9,
too and there’s a picture-in-picture mode that
allows you to watch videos while you do other
things, though these features are iPad only.
As we will see when we discuss Android
M features, lots of Apple’s competitors offer
software-based battery-saving modes for
their devices, and Apple will do the same

when it launches iOS 9. Apple says its feature
should provide up to three hours of extra
use, on top of the extra hour or so you’ll get
simply from updating to iOS 9, which is more
power efficient than iOS 8 (Apple says).
Turning to Android M and we find
something similar in what Google calls
‘Doze mode’. Doze monitors when the device
isn’t being used to put it into a deep sleep,
which uses less power and can double your
battery life – according to Google.
The SystemUI Tuner in Android M allows
you to customise the Quick Settings to the
ones you want to you the most and in the
layout which suits you. Another small but
handy change is the ability to uninstall apps
straight from the home screen. You now get
the choice between simply removing the
shortcut/icon or actually uninstalling the
app from the device entirely.
Google Now is a great feature of Android
and it gets even better in Android M. Now
on Tap means you can long press the home
button wherever you are you call up Google
Now. Better still, you don’t need to navigate
away from the app you’re using and it will
already have a good idea of what help you
need based on what you’ve been doing,
such as Directions to a specific location after
chatting to a friend about meeting up.
We’ve already got fingerprint scanners on
numerous devices so it might not seem like a
new feature, but Android M natively supports
them. This means you’ll be able to use them
to authorise payments via Android Pay and
confirm Play store purchases. Developers can
also use the functionality within their apps.
One annoying thing about Android is
that downloading an app requires you to
agree to all its permissions, which might
include things you don’t agree with, such as
access to your contacts when it’s an endless

runner game. Well Android M is going to
change that with the ability to pick and
choose which permissions you’re happy with
for each individual app. You’ll also be able
to accept or deny a specific permission as
and when an app requests it.
If you send links, photos or files to
the same contacts, then Android M will
start adding them to the Share menu to
speed up the process. It’s a bit like having
favourite contacts when you open the
Dialler app to call someone.
Not only is Do Not Disturb (DND) part
of Quick Settings in Android M, the volume
control has been tweaked for the better. You
can now easily control the volume of calls,
notifications and alarms with three separate
sliders – simple but effective.
Okay, it’s a hardware feature but Android
M supports USB Type C, which is good news
for future devices – potentially starting with
the Nexus 5 2015. You can plug it in either
way around, it will charge your device quicker
and even allow you to charge other devices.

Verdict
It is too early to make a definitive judgment,
but the old truths are likely to remain. If
you want ultimate polish, and are prepared
to sacrifice your freedom to shop for apps
and media outside of Apple’s walls, then iOS
9 is for you. It is a prison, but a beautiful,
comfortable one. Meanwhile on the Android
side of the house the days when Google’s
platform was hard to use are long gone.
But it is probably still fair to say that iOS is
a marginally more shallow learning curve
for beginners. If you asked me to choose,
I would plump for Android, but it really is
a personal choice. And Apple Pay being
available is a big win for iOS 9. Let’s see
what the autumn brings.

iOS 9

September 2015 www.pcadvisor.co.uk/features 107

ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 31

Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 31

14/07/2015
17:06
13/07/2015 17:08

32 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 16
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 32

14/07/2015 17:06

DATA ROAMING:
Avoid data charges abroad
If you're taking your phone on holiday with you,
make sure you don't come home to a huge bill

I

t’s holiday season again - at least for parents and
school-age children - so it’s time to pack your
suitcase and go on vacation. Here we gather the
best tips to save money making calls and using data
abroad when on holiday or business, and list each
carrier's roaming charges.
If you’ve read scare stories of massive mobile
data roaming charges - where naïve users have
racked up thousands of pounds on their mobile
ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 33

Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 33

14/07/2015 17:06

bills just by browsing the internet or downloading
a few files or email attachments – then you might
be worried about taking your Android smartphone
abroad with you.
Recent reports suggest that the average
smartphone user gets through nearly 500MB of data
a month. With data roaming charges of £7.50/MB
outside Europe you can see how the bills can rapidly
add up... Indeed nearly 40 percent of us turn off
our phones when we go abroad, and a further
36 percent switching off data roaming.
(Roaming is the word used to describe using your
mobile phone on another network for a short period,
while still being billed by your existing provider.
Your mobile phone number remains the same while
roaming. When you are roaming on another network
the temporary mobile phone company will bill your
usual mobile phone company for calls you make
while roaming on their network.)
34 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 16
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 34

14/07/2015 17:06

Data roaming prices have dropped 95 percent
since 2010.

New EU roaming charges
Data roaming charges will be abolished within the
European Union by June 2017. The ban is preceded
by a 14-month interim period, in which telecoms
operators can still add reduced surcharges.
From April 2016 companies will be able to add
a surcharge of no more than:
• 3.5p (€0.05) extra per minute for calls
• €0.02 extra per SMS sent
• €0.05 extra per MB of data used
The cap should make EU roaming 75 percent
cheaper during this interim period.
The agreement will be presented to the EU's
member states between July and December this
year for formal adoption.
Before then calling a UK landline or mobile from
any EU country will now cost a maximum of 18p per

ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 35
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 35

14/07/2015 17:06

minute. Receiving a call will cost 4.8p. Sending a text
will cost 5p and data will be charged at 19.6p per
MB. Previously calls cost 24p per minute, texts were
7p and data was a wallet-walloping 46p per MB.
But you still need to be careful to avoid bankbusting bills when taking your smartphone or
3G-enabled tablet abroad.

O2
O2 currently charges 19.6p per MB within the
EU, and £6 per MB outside the EU. Within the EU
mobile calls cost 18p/minute. Before travelling to
Europe check you have O2 Travel on your Pay &
Go account, you can check this by calling customer
services on 4445. For the days that you use data
in Europe, you will be charged £1.99 for a daily
allowance of 50MB, which will automatically end
at midnight UK time or stop when you reach your
50MB allowance (whichever comes first). To use
36 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 16
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 36

14/07/2015 17:06

more data, you can text MORETRAVEL to 21300 to
reset your allowance for another £1.99 / 50MB. If
you don't have Pay & Go O2 Travel on your account
text TRAVELON to 21300 to activate; it can take up
to 24hrs to be applied to your account. To opt out of
O2 Travel text TRAVELOFF to 21300, you will then
be charged O2’s standard roaming rates. This can
take up to 24hrs to be applied to your account.
Making calls in the US to UK costs £1.10/min, and
receiving calls 90p/min. Sending texts is 40p per
message. Data usage is capped to 50MB (£40) per
month. O2’s Data Abroad Bolt On increases your
standard data limit to 200MB for £120 per month.
You can get the Bolt On through My O2.

Vodafone
Vodafone charges 19.8p per MB in the EU; for the
rest of the world it's £3 for each MB up to 5MB,
then £15 for every 5MB after that. With Vodafone

ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 37
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 37

14/07/2015 17:06

EuroTraveller you can take your UK minutes, texts
and data with you anywhere in its Europe Zone for
£3 extra a day. To opt in call 5555 free from your
Vodafone mobile or text ADD to 40506 (if you text
from abroad, Vodafone will just charge you for a
standard text).
You’re automatically opted into a monthly spend
limit of £42.50 (ex VAT) both in its Europe Zone
and Rest of World Zone. Outside of Europe with
the Vodafone WorldTraveller you can take your UK
minutes, texts and data with you anywhere in its
WorldTraveller Zone for £5 extra a day. To opt in, call
5555 free from your Vodafone mobile or text ADD
to 40508. Be warned: a smartphone can eat 25MB
of data pretty quickly. Making calls in the US to UK
costs £1.35/min, and receiving calls £1/min. Sending
texts is 35p per message.

Orange
Orange charges 19.8p per MB within the EU, but the
highest rest-of-the-world rate is £8 per MB. Orange
38 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 16
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 38

14/07/2015 17:06

lets you add an EU 50MB Daily rate for £3 per day;
or £5 for 100MB in the EU. Calling to Europe, Ireland
& the Channel Islands and back to the UK costs
18.8p, and 4.9p to receive calls. Texts cost 5.9p to
make, but are free to receive. You can get unlimited
calls and texts while abroad in selected European
countries for £2/day.
Making calls in the US to UK costs £1.20/min, and
receiving calls £1.20/min. Sending texts is 50p per
message. For the US Orange has a Zone A Roaming
Data Bundle of 20MB for £3 a day; or £5 for 100MB.

Three
3 (Three) sadly isn't free. But it looks cheaper than
the others in some countries as it charges just 10p
per MB in France and the US. Mostly though it's near
the now standard sub-20p rate at 19.8p in the EU,
and £3 per MB outside the EU. Watch out, though, as
prices fluctuate quite wildly according to its website.

ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 39
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 39

14/07/2015 17:06

3’s roaming charges really do depend on which
country you’re in. France, for example, is a Feel At
Home destination, which means you can use your
device there at no extra cost. Calls and texts back to
the UK and using data will come out of your existing
Pay Monthly allowance, if you have one. If you've
gone over your allowance, you'll pay special lower
roaming rates. In France that’s 10p per MB. 3’s Feel
At Home destinations include: Australia; Austria;
Denmark; Finland; France; Hong Kong; Indonesia;
Israel; Italy; Macau; New Zealand; Norway; Ireland;
Spain; Sri Lanka; Sweden; Switzerland; and the
USA. If you've gone over or don't have an allowance
calling a UK number from the one of these
destinations costs 13.8p/minute. Sending a text costs
4.3p but receiving is free.
With 3’s Euro Internet Pass Add-on you can get
all-you-can-eat data for £5 a day. The Euro Internet
40 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 16
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 40

14/07/2015 17:07

Pass was designed for browsing, so streaming
video or audio content and connecting over a
Virtual Private Network (VPN) won't be as good as
it is on 3’s UK network. Also, using your phone as
a Personal Hotspot, calls and texts aren't included.
Euro Internet Pass is only available if you've got
a Pay Monthly contract and you can only use it in
certain countries.

EE
It's a little more complicated with EE. If you're on
a 4GEE or T-Mobile plan you can't use your data
abroad unless you buy an add-on or Booster. If you
try to use the internet on your EE phone or tablet
when you're abroad, you're directed to a screen
where you can buy roaming data add-ons. With EE
you have to buy a roaming add-on before you can

ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 41
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 41

14/07/2015 17:07

use the internet while you're away. EE has so many
roaming add-on options it's confusing. A Euro Data
Roaming Add-On costs £3 for 50MB, £5 for 100MB,
£12 for 200MB and £25 for 500MB. It all depends on
where you are, with EE. If you're in Japan an add-on
costs £60 for 50MB. A paltry 10MB costs £12.
As you can see web browsing for a few hours a
day over the course of a week could cost you dear especially outside the EU on EE.

Picture messages
Opening an email that includes a picture taken by
a 5-megapixel camera or downloading a threeminute video from YouTube takes about 2MB of
data. Vodafone stimates that 20 mobile-friendly web
pages uses about 1MB – but remember that the
majority of websites are not mobile friendly.
42 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 16
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 42

14/07/2015 17:07

Top 10 tips for avoiding data roaming
charges abroad

1.

This one's the first tip for a good reason.
Where possible only browse or download
when using your phone's Wi-Fi connection.
Users are not billed for data downloaded over Wi-Fi.
The only charge might be if a particular Wi-Fi hotspot
charges for access, and you should be informed of
that before you can start using the connection.

2.

It’s OK to check your email, as attachments
aren’t downloaded until you tell the phone
to do so by selecting that attachment. That
said, the text in the email is downloaded, so long
lists of messages may indeed start to cost more than
you’d expect. If you can, think about Tip 1 again,
and check email when you're connected to Wi-Fi
whenever possible.

ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 43
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 43

14/07/2015 17:07

3.

Check your roaming settings in
Settings>Mobile Networks. Also go to
Settings>Data usage, and tap on the three
dots on the top-right of the screen, then select
"Restrict background data". Apps that you aren't
currently using will not be allowed to use any data.
Neither do you want your apps to automatically
update while you're using mobile data abroad. They
should update only when you're connected to a WiFi network, but go to the Play Store app to ensure
that the Auto-update apps setting is set to Wi-Fi only.

4.

Get a data bundle. You may be able to sign
up to a flat-rate or capped data package
(aka Bolt On or Add On), where you pay
a fixed amount each month for using the mobile
internet. Contact your operator to find out what it
offers. These can be hard to get your head around.
Make sure to check they work for your destination.

44 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 16
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 44

14/07/2015 17:07

5.

Go to mobile-friendly websites only.
An increasing number of websites now
have specific sites where their pages are
specially optimised for mobile phone, thus making
them lighter on the megabytes. Most mobile
websites have a very similar address to the desktop
(or 'fat') site. Try replacing the 'www' with 'm' or
'mobile'; or replace the '.co.uk' or '.com' with '.mobi',
as with Microsoft's mobile site.

6.

Switch SIM card. Another way to avoid
high roaming charges is to switch your
SIM cards. UK company Dataroam has
a range of pay-as-you-go and 30-day plans that
it claims could save users “up to 90 percent” on
international roaming charges, with pre-paid data
SIMs starting at £19.99.
But first the smartphone needs to be “unlocked”
from its home network. (Most UK phone networks

ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 45
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 45

14/07/2015 17:07



lock their handsets to prevent consumers using
alternative SIMs, and so force people to pay their
high rates.) You can ask your network carrier to
unlock your phone, but this isn’t always an easy
request, as you might have guessed.
Alternatively, there are plenty of small local
independent mobile phone stores and online
unlocking specialists who can unlock your phone
for you. Unlocking your smartphone shouldn’t cause
any problems either in the UK or abroad.

Turn off your phone.
Do you really need to access Facebook
or check the football scores?

7.

Set up a MiFi. If a phone can’t be unlocked
you could create your own personal (secure
and fast) Wi-Fi hotspot with a MiFi device,
which will allow you to run up to five Wi-Fi-enabled
devices from that point – ideal for group or family
trips abroad. A Mifi is a wireless modem that emits
a Wi-Fi signal that devices can connect to, ensuring
access to the web for more than one person.
Dataroam sells a Mifi for £89.99 that uses one
of the company’s data SIMs that work out much
cheaper than standard network rates abroad. Set up
the Mifi as a wireless hotspot, tell your friends/family
the password, and you’re up and running.



8.

Compress data. The Onavo Extend app
promises to give you the ability to do up to
five times more with your current data plan

46 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 16
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 46

14/07/2015 17:07

without additional fees. Onavo Extend also provides
a breakdown of your mobile data usage, showing
you how much data is being consumed by each app
and so allowing you to make better informed data
usage choices. Onavo Extend compresses your data
so that you can do more with your mobile device. It
also reduces roaming charges by providing a leaner
version of the web.

9.

Download maps offline. When you’re
away from home you actually need data
more than you do normally, so the high
data charges are doubly frustrating. Step off the
plane/train/automobile and the first thing we
want/need to do is fire up maps and GPS on
our smartphones.
The trick is to download city or area maps before
you leave home (you know where you’re going,
right?) or do so when you get to your hotel wifi. You can now do this via a feature in the latest
Google Maps app, and you can pre-download maps
covering a 10-mile radius. Android users need to
enable the "Download map area" feature via the
Labs tab in the Google Maps app.
Check that any travel-guide apps – for example,
Lonely Planet, Rough Guide, DK Eyewitness, and
Time Out guides – you’ve downloaded include
offline maps.

10.

Relax. Unless it's a busy business trip,
just switch off your phone for a while.
Do you really need to check email
morning, noon and night, access Facebook, look at
Twitter, check the football scores?
ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 47

Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 47

14/07/2015 17:07

REVIEW:
EE Harrier Mini
Replacing the Kestrel and little brother to the Harrier,
we see if the Harrier Mini is any good at £99
£99 inc VAT • ee.co.uk •

R

eplacing the Kestrel as EE's own-brand budget
4G phone, the EE Harrier Mini is little brother
to the EE Harrier. We see how it stacks up
against the competition in our EE Harrier Mini review.
At £99 the EE Harrier Mini offers a cheap entry
point for a phone capable of fast 4G data download
speeds, but EE isn't the only UK mobile operator to
offer its own-brand cheap 4G phone. Vodafone has
also recently unveiled its Smart Prime 6, and at £79 it
arguably offers better value than the Harrier Mini. 

48 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 16
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 48

14/07/2015 17:07

With very similar specifications, including a 1.2GHz
processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage and 8-/2Mp
cameras, there's little to differentiate between
Harrier Mini and Smart Prime 6. Both are a step up
on the Moto E 4G, which is now available for around
£89 but has an inferior qHD screen and cameras.
The Harrier Mini also boasts EE Wi-Fi Calling,
which lets you route calls and texts over Wi-Fi
when you're out of range. 
The Harrier Mini is identical in design to its bigger
brother, the EE Harrier, but with smaller dimensions
and a more modest spec. Its performance in our
benchmarks was less impressive, but in real-world
use it somehow felt faster, and switching between
home screens and scrolling through menus is a
zippy affair. The camera and some apps still take an
age to load, but the Harrier Mini removes many of
our misgivings with the Harrier. 
Button-placement is a prime example. With the
power button placed high up on the left side, and

ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 49
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 49

14/07/2015 17:07

the volume rocker on the right, single-handedly
operating the Harrier could feel a little awkward.
Not so with the Mini, and its smaller dimensions
mean the positioning is quite comfortable for
one-handed use. 
The Harrier Mini features the same brushedmetal-effect plastic rear cover with silver EE logo,
rear-mounted speaker and gold camera surround as
the Harrier. It seems to pull off the plastic look much
better, though, and perhaps simply because it is
smaller and therefore less in your face. 
Half the price of the Harrier, some cost-cutting
has been necessary with the Harrier Mini. Not only is
the hardware less powerful - although this equates
to improved battery life - but the screen has been
downsized from 5.2- to 4.7in, and the resolution from
full-HD (1080p) to HD (720p). The Harrier's screen is
notably sharper, at 424 pixels per inch against the
Mini's 312ppi, but the latter really isn't at all bad for a
50 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 16
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 50

14/07/2015 17:07

budget phone - even the iPhone 6 has only 326ppi.
The touch-sensitive buttons could have been moved
to the large vacant area below the screen to make
more space available, but that's a minor quibble. 
Storage could be an issue. While the Harrier has a
vanilla implementation of Android 5.0 Lollipop, there
is a lot of bloatware (which can't be uninstalled)
slapped on top, and only 3.69GB of the phone's
8GB storage is available. The Harrier Mini accepts
MicroSD, but if you plan to install a lot of apps you
may run out of space. 
Overall, though, the Mini offers very good value
as a cheap 4G phone. Let's take a closer look. 

Price and UK availability 
At £99 on EE's 4G PAYG network the Harrier Mini
offers excellent value, more so than even the
very good Moto E 4G, which is now available for
around £89 SIM-free. However, with very similar

ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 51
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 51

14/07/2015 17:07

specifications to the £79 Vodafone Smart Prime 6,
you are in effect paying an extra £20 here for Wi-Fi
Calling. It's a cool feature if you often find yourself
without mobile reception, allowing the phone to
automatically route calls and texts over Wi-Fi rather
than the mobile network, but if signal problems
aren't something you regularly experience then our
money would be on the Smart Prime 6. 
If you don't want to buy the phone up front,
the Harrier Mini is also available free on contracts
starting at £14.99 per month, for which you get
500MB of data, 500 minutes and unlimited texts. If
you can afford the £99 asking price, though, it will
work out significantly cheaper in the long run. 

Design and build 
As we mentioned in the introduction, the Harrier
Mini is very much a smaller version of the EE Harrier.
Both are plastic phones, although the manufacturer
52 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 16
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 52

14/07/2015 17:07

(BenQ) has attempted to add a touch of flair with a
brushed-metal-effect rear cover. There's also a gold
camera surround, shiny silver EE logo and a silver
speaker grille at the rear. It pulls off the look much
better than its bigger brother, and on looks alone
you wouldn't easily guess that this was a £99 phone. 
The screen bezels are similarly slim, but as with
the Harrier there is a rather large vacant area below
the screen. Rather than using this to house the three
Android-standard Home, Back and Options buttons,
these occupy the bottom row on the screen itself.
Even so, with smaller overall dimensions the Harrier
Mini is far simpler to operate in a single hand, and
even the slightly odd button placement that felt
awkward on the Harrier feels natural here. 
In the hand the Harrier Mini feels good. The
slightly curved rear is a good fit for the palm, and
it doesn't creak under pressure. You can prise off
this panel to reveal microSD and SIM slots, but it's a
shame the battery isn't also removable. 

ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 53
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 53

14/07/2015 17:07

Given that the Harrier Mini costs half the price of
the Harrier, some cost-cutting has been necessary.
This is seen primarily in the lower-spec core
hardware and cameras, but also in the screen.
Whereas the Harrier is fitted with a 5.2in full-HD
panel, the Harrier Mini has a 4.7in HD variant.
Both are IPS panels with good viewing angles and
generally realistic colours, but while the Harrier
Mini's screen is very sharp for a budget phone you
will notice the difference between it and the Harrier.
We also found it a little dull without turning up the
brightness, but doing so had the negative effect of
making colours seem a little washed out. It's a step
up on the qHD panel fitted to its predecessor, the
EE Kestrel, but in our opinion not as good as the
screen fitted to the Vodafone Smart Prime 6, which
is larger at 5in, without the device being significantly
bigger and heavier. 
54 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 16
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 54

14/07/2015 17:07

Hardware and performance 
Don't expect to be blown away by this phone's
performance, with a lowly 1.2GHz processor and
just 1GB of RAM inside. Our benchmarks showed
it to be naturally slower than the Harrier, but a little
faster than its closest rivals.
Oddly, the Harrier Mini felt faster than the Harrier
in real-world use, with no lag when switching
between home screens and scrolling through
menus, although there is still the same interminable
wait when launching the camera or other apps, or
even just waking the screen. What feels slow to us,
of course, will be quite acceptable to many users
- some of the phones that pass through the PC
Advisor lab cost six or seven times the price of the
Harrier Mini, and are correspondingly faster. 
We ran the Harrier Mini through our usual
benchmarks, starting with Geekbench 3, which
measures processor performance. In the multi-core

ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 55
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 55

14/07/2015 17:07

component the Harrier Mini recorded 1549 points,
making it faster than the Smart Prime 6 (1401),
Moto E 4G (1463) and EE Kestrel (1152), although
the difference between at least the first three
isn't so great that you'll notice a difference. The
larger Harrier was faster still, with 2042 points,
as you would expect. 
Geekbench 3 also includes a battery life test,
which we have recently begun using for the phones
that pass through our lab. While we don't have
battery life scores for the Smart Prime 6, Moto E
4G and Kestrel, we were interested to find that
the Harrier Mini performed better in this test than
did the Harrier, despite its smaller-capacity battery
(2000mAh vs 2500mAh). This is more than likely
due to the less demanding hardware. We recorded
2163 points for the Harrier Mini, and just 1424 for the
Harrier. Don't expect to get more than a day's usage
from that battery before needing a top-up. 
You get the same power-management options
as with the Harrier, which means you can turn off
56 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 16
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 56

14/07/2015 17:07



Wi-Fi and mobile data when the screen is off, or
schedule this to occur only during a set period, such
as overnight. If you want people to be able to get
hold of you then it's perhaps not the best solution to
prolonging battery life, however. 
AnTuTu is another new test to the Android Advisor
lab, and here the Harrier Mini (21,725) was narrowly
beaten by the rival Smart Prime 6 (21,842). The
Harrier recorded 29,154 in this test. 
Less impressive was the Harrier Mini's showing in
SunSpider, which measures JavaScript performance.
In this test a lower score is better, and while many
Androids now sit somewhere between 800- and

In performance the EE Harrier Mini
is beaten by the Vodafone
Smart Prime 6
1200ms, the EE Harrier Mini recorded 1880ms. By
comparison, the larger Harrier managed 1275ms,
while the Smart Prime 6 and Moto E 4G both turned
in 1301ms. Even the ageing EE Kestrel did a better
job, with 1150ms. 
Our final test is GFXBench, within which we use
the T-Rex and Manhattan benchmarks to gauge
graphics performance. The Harrier Mini recorded
10- and 4fps respectively, which is by no means
great, but the phone will be capable of casual
gaming. The Moto E 4G did a slightly better job
with 13- and 6fps respectively, while the Smart
Prime 6 was on par with 9- and 4fps. The EE Kestrel
turned in 14fps in a slightly older version of T-Rex.



ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 57
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 57

14/07/2015 17:07

Connectivity 
With the exception of NFC, the Harrier Mini has the
same connectivity options as the Harrier. That means
you get 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0, plus the
promise of Wi-Fi Calling - it's only a shame it wasn't
available to the Harrier and Harrier Mini at launch. 

Cameras 
Photography is another area in which the Harrier
Mini sees cutbacks, although its 8Mp rear- and 2Mp
front camera setup with LED flash is very good at this
price. It's matched by the Smart Prime 6, though, and
in our tests its Vodafone rival took the better shot. 
HDR is not on by default, although in our
experience you will want to switch it on. Our
first shot, taken without HDR, was very dark and
underexposed on what was a relatively sunny day
for the UK. Although the results were much better
with HDR, it's clear a lot of detail is still missing. 

58 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 16
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 58

14/07/2015 17:07

The EE Harrier Mini can also shoot full-HD
(1080p) video from its rear camera, although we
found it jerky and struggling to focus, with the same
exposure issues as still shots. 
The camera app itself is very basic, matching that
found on the EE Harrier. Very few camera controls
are available, but you do get smile-, voice- and
touch-activated capture, plus a countdown timer.
You can select Auto, Night or Panorama modes,
but no real-time filters are available. 

Software 
The software setup is identical to that of the Harrier.
You get a very plain implementation of Android
Lollipop, complete with the Nexus launcher.
However, there is a lot of bloatware slapped on top,
and none of it can be uninstalled. Additional extras
include Lookout, My EE, Amazon Kindle, Local, Music
and Appstore, Deezer and Games & Apps. Less than
4GB of the Mini's 8GB of storage was available.

Verdict
We're much keener on the Harrier Mini than we
are its bigger brother. While both phones offer very
good value, £99 sounds much more appealing than
£199, and we prefer the Mini's more compact design.
Performance is slower and the screen isn't as good,
but you won't get top-end specs from either phone.
But as much as we think the Harrier Mini is a great
deal, the Vodafone Smart Prime 6 offers better
value. It's £20 cheaper and has a larger, better
screen, and it seems more adept in photography.
Buy the Harrier Mini over the Smart Prime 6 only if
you'll benefit from Wi-Fi Calling.
ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 59
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 59

14/07/2015 17:07

REVIEW:
Ulefone BeTouch
Impossible to fault under £150, the Ulefone BeTouch
budget 4G phone ticks all our boxes
£147 • geekbuying.com •

W

e're finding it difficult to find fault with the
Ulefone BeTouch, and that says a lot about
a phone that costs less than £150. Find out
why in our Ulefone BeTouch review.
Ulefone's BeTouch is a Chinese phone that's
available to buy in the UK through Geekbuying for
just £147 at the time of writing. Bear in mind that
Geekbuying ships the BeTouch from China, so you
may also incur import duty. If you do decide to

60 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 16
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 60

14/07/2015 17:07

take the plunge and purchase the BeTouch, you
absolutely won't regret your choice.
Not only does this phone offer dual-SIM
functionality, but one of those two SIMs supports 4G.
And unlike many dual-SIM phones, it doesn't force
you to choose between a second SIM and storage
expansion - you can boost the BeTouch's 16GB
of internal storage by as much as 64GB through
microSD, and add a second SIM.
Then again, 16GB is a decent amount of storage
for such a cheap smartphone, particularly when you
consider that the Ulefone BeTouch is refreshingly
free from bloatware. Running an absolutely vanilla
version of Android 5.0 Lollipop, we were amazed
to find all but one shortcut fit on a single page of
the app tray out of the box - and that's the Nexus
launcher app tray, of course.
Without the hindrance of bloatware, performance
from the 64-bit octa-core MediaTek processor is

ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 61
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 61

14/07/2015 17:08

good. In Geekbench 3, for example, the Ulefone
was beaten only by the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6
Edge, plus the UMI eMax that we'll be reviewing later
this week. Benchmarks should be taken with a pinch
of salt, of course, but in real-world testing we found
this phone very smooth in use.
The 5.5in screen is of a useful size for viewing
media, and its HD (1280x720) resolution is quite
acceptable for a sub-£150 phone. This is an IPS
screen, protected by Gorilla Glass 3. The Ulefone's
display is fully laminated, with rounded edges and
very slim screen bezels.
Ulefone has carefully considered the design,
and despite the low price the BeTouch features a
stainless steel frame and an aluminium-magnesium
alloy mid-frame. It remains pretty light for a phablet,
at 160g, and although we're not so keen on the
way the rear camera protrudes at the rear (an
increasingly common feature in today's flagships to
62 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 16
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 62

14/07/2015 17:08

keep down the width), we like the fact the speaker
is bottom- rather than rear-facing, preventing sound
firing into your palm. The rear cover is removable,
but sits flush with the case and doesn't feel at all
flimsy or cheap, and it gives access to a removable
battery - extra points for Ulefone here.
One of our favourite features of the Ulefone,
though, is its fingerprint scanner. We've tested loads
of phones with this functionality built-in and, with the
exception of the Samsung Galaxy S6 and iPhone, in
all cases we've switched off the fingerprint scanner
as soon as the novelty has worn off. Swipe-based
fingerprint scanners are an absolute pain in the
neck, so we were pleasantly surprised to find the
BeTouch uses the same touch-based input as the S6
and iPhone. The fingerprint scanner on this phone is
not just a cool idea, it's a genuinely usable feature.
And there's more. While Ulefone has left the
Android OS alone, it has added some useful screen

ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 63
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 63

14/07/2015 17:08

gestures. You can double-tap to wake the screen or
create your own custom gestures, which launch an
app of your choice when you draw a letter on top of
the screen in standby.
A 2550mAh battery that can charge up to
35 percent in 15 minutes, dual-band 802.11ac
Wi-Fi and 13Mp rear- and 5Mp front cameras
complete a brilliant package.

Price & UK availability
The Ulefone BeTouch is a Chinese phone available
in the UK through grey-market sites such as
Geekbuying. In the UK it was listed on their site for
£147.06, but bear in mind that this phone is shipped
from China so you may also incur import VAT if
purchased from the UK.

Design & build
With a 5.5in screen the Ulefone is a large phone and
what we refer to as a phablet - somewhere between
64 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 16
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 64

14/07/2015 17:08

a phone and a tablet. However, the aviation-grade
stainless steel frame and aluminium-magnesium midframe help keep down the weight to just 160g, while
the curved screen edges and slim bezels make onehanded use possible.
Despite the metal frame the Ulefone's rear cover
is plastic. It's a removable cover which, usefully,
affords access to an also-removable battery and the
dual-SIM and microSD slots. It sits flush to the case,
which prevents it feeling cheap or creaking.
The 13Mp camera protrudes a little from the
rear - it's not something we particularly like, but it is
becoming increasingly common with today's everslimmer flagships. While the Ulefone BeTouch isn't as
skinny as some phones on the market, at 8.6mm it's
thin for a budget phone.
Our sample came in metal grey, although the
Ulefone BeTouch is also available in silk white.
The fully laminated display is prone to picking up
fingerprints, but the HD IPS display below looks
good. At this size and resolution, the screen is a
good fit for viewing media, and the BeTouch displays

ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 65
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 65

14/07/2015 17:08

realistic colours and useful brightness, with good
viewing angles to boot. You can also invert the
screen colours if you find the display easier to
read in this manner.
The power button and volume rocker are found
on the phone's left edge, which can be a bit of a
stretch for righthanded users. However, one of
several useful gestures allows you to wake the
screen with a double-tap, so we didn't find the
positioning a problem in real-world use. Options
and back software buttons sit below the screen,
either side of a home button that incorporates
a fingerprint scanner.
The beauty of this fingerprint scanner, and
something we haven't been able to say about any
of the fingerprint scanners found on rival cheap
Chinese phones, is that it works. Using touchrather than swipe input, we found the BeTouch
recognised our fingerprint every single time, and
66 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 16
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 66

14/07/2015 17:08

that means we're actually likely to use it. It's fast,
too, recognising your fingerprint in a fraction of
a second, even when your hand is wet.
Six small holes on the BeTouch's bottom edge
allow sound to escape from the built-in speaker.
It's a preferable approach to a rear-mounted speaker
that can fire sound into your palm, although frontfacing would be even better.

Hardware & performance
With a 1.7GHz octa-core processor from MediaTek,
3GB of RAM and Mali-T760 MP2 graphics inside,
the Ulefone BeTouch is a capable smartphone.
In real-world use we found it very smooth, and this
is no doubt thanks to not only the hardware but
a lack of bloatware slowing it down.
We ran the Ulefone BeTouch through our usual
benchmarks, and the results make for pleasant
reading - particularly in Geekbench 3, which

ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 67
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 67

14/07/2015 17:08

measures processor performance. In the
multi-core component of this test the BeTouch
scored a staggering 3817 points. And that really is
super-duper fast, beaten only by the fastest Android
phones we've ever tested, the Samsung Galaxy
S6 and S6 Edge. (And the UMI eMax, although the
Ulefone shows better performance in other tests.)
In the single-core component the Ulefone scored
794 points, which places it in between the UMI eMax
and UMI Hammer.
In SunSpider, which measures JavaScript
performance, the Ulefone BeTouch did a good
job for an Android phone, with this benchmark's
scoreboards dominated by the various iPhone
models. We ran SunSpider both on the browser that
came preinstalled on the Ulefone, in which it scored
915ms, and in Chrome, which we use to ensure a fair
test across all Android phones, in which it scored
975ms. In SunSpider a lower score is better, which
68 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 16
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 68

14/07/2015 17:08



means it actually did a better job here than did the
aforementioned S6 and S6 Edge.
GFXBench is used to measure graphics
performance, and the Ulefone recorded 25fps in
T-Rex and 12fps in Manhattan. Both are very good
scores for a phone at this price point, and in line with
flagship phones such as the LG G4 and Nexus 6.
Two new tests we've recently begun using in
the Android Advisor lab and for which we currently
have few scores to compare are AnTuTu and the
battery life test built into Geekbench 3. In AnTuTu
the BeTouch recorded 41,661 points, which is a
little below Ulefone's claims of 45,000 points-plus,

In Geekbench 3 the Ulefone really
is super-duper fast, beaten only by the fastest
Android phones we've ever tested
and put its performance somewhere between the
Samsung Galaxy S5 and Nexus 5.
In Geekbench 3's battery test the Ulefone
recorded 2540 points (04:38:40), which is a little
behind the LG G4. Arguably, though, even the best
phone battery will quickly be drained by a heavy
user, so how fast the phone can recharge its flat
battery is also important. Using the included charger
the BeTouch can reach 35 percent in just 15 minutes.
This is a two-pin plug, but Geekbuying will also
supply a UK adaptor in the box upon request.
Also pleasing is the fact the Ulefone BeTouch's
2550mAh battery is removable, which means you
could carry a spare or a power bank.



ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 69
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 69

14/07/2015 17:08

Connectivity
Well, we've found our first cause for complaint
with the Ulefone BeTouch: it doesn't support NFC.
(Do we care? No we do not.)
In other respects, the Ulefone BeTouch has all
connectivity bases covered, with dual-band 802.11ac
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, A-GPS and GLONASS and
OTG. Plus, not only is it dual-SIM (dual-standby), with
one slot supporting a full-size card and the other
Micro-SIM, it supports 4G. And, unlike some Chinese
phones, wireless updates are available, making it
easy to install software updates.

Cameras
Slapped on the back of the Ulefone BeTouch is the
same 13Mp Sony Exmor IMX214 camera that is found
on the rear of many Chinese phones. That's not a
bad thing, though, and the photos it takes are much
better than you have any right to expect at £150.

70 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 16
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 70

14/07/2015 17:08

The camera is quick to focus once you've
launched the app, although a dedicated camera
button would make doing so even faster. There's
a dual-LED flash and the Ulefone stretches to ISO
1600 for better low-light pictures, while the rear
camera also supports up to 4K video recording at
30fps and has a tracking autofocus for capturing
moving objects.
Around the front is a 5Mp selfie camera with
an 80-degree wide-angle lens.
Both cameras support real-time application
of filters, plus various modes including picture
in picture, live photo, motion tracking, beauty,
panorama and multi-angle. You can trigger a shot
with a gesture, smile or voice command, although

ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 71
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 71

14/07/2015 17:08



Ulefone's BeTouch is an unrivalled
deal at £147. It's genuinely difficult to
fault at this price
in doing so the camera switches off its anti-shake
feature. Face detection is also supported.
HDR is not automatic, but we found photos look
better with it turned on.



Software
The Android Lollipop OS preinstalled on this phone
is exactly as Google intended, and that makes
a refreshing change. There is zero bloatware
preinstalled, and we found all but one of the
shortcuts fit on a single page of the Nexus launcher
app tray - amazing.
The only changes Ulefone has made are for the
better: there's the aforementioned option to invert
screen colours in the Quick settings drop-down,
plus you can set custom gestures that allow you to
launch an app of your choice from standby simply by
drawing a letter on the screen. The ability to wake
the screen with a double-tap also eases managing
this phablet in a single hand.

Verdict
Ulefone's BeTouch is an unrivalled deal at £147.
It's fast, it's dual-SIM with 4G connectivity, it has a
working fingerprint scanner for security, the screen
is large and with an HD resolution plenty crisp
enough for the money, and there is absolutely no
bloatware. A few minor quibbles aside, it's genuinely
difficult to fault this phone at this price.
72 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 16
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 72

14/07/2015 17:08

REVIEW:
UMI eMax
The most powerful UMI phone we've seen, the eMax is
bigger and better than all the rest - but just as affordable
£115 • coolicool.com •

W

e've been impressed by what we've
seen from Chinese phone maker UMI so
far, having recently reviewed both the
Zero and Hammer. This UMI eMax is an altogether
more powerful beast, with an octa-core processor,
a standout 5.5in full-HD screen and a massive
3780mAh battery that can even serve as a power
bank for other phones. Find out more in our UMI
eMax review.
ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 73

Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 73

14/07/2015 17:08

The best bit about the UMI eMax is its price, and
right now it's available for just £115 from Coolicool.
com. That's amazing value for money. Bear in mind
that this phone ships from China, so you may also
incur import duty when purchased in the UK. 
While the UMI eMax's graphics performance sits
in line with UK-sold budget phones, its processing
and battery performance is spectacular, beaten in
our benchmarks only by the best Android phones in
the land, the Samsung Galaxy S6 and its brother the
S6 Edge. While benchmarks can be cheated, and its
AnTuTu score isn't quite so high, the eMax shows no
sign of lag in real-world use, and even the Camera
app launches relatively quickly. 
The eMax isn't as good-looking as the metalframed Hammer and Zero, but for a phablet it's
reasonably attractive. Legends for the three Androidstandard home, back and options buttons are always
visible below the screen, and the camera juts out at

74 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 16
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 74

14/07/2015 17:08

the rear very much like on the Samsung Galaxy S6.
There's also a rear-mounted speaker, although the
size of the phone means it is unlikely to fire sound
into your palm. 
Available in grey or silver, the eMax is a plastic
phone with a subtle brushed-metal-effect finish
on the rear. This is not removable, with trays at the
left and right edges for adding two 4G SIM cards
and a microSD card. But with 16GB of storage as
standard and very little bloatware preinstalled,
you may find there's enough space for your files
and apps without expansion.
You get the standard 13Mp rear- and 5Mp front
camera setup. There's support for smile-, gesture,
and voice-activated capture, real-time application
of filters, plus all the usual camera modes, including
HDR, picture-in-picture, live photo, motion tracking,
panorama and multi-angle capture. The front camera
also has a Beauty mode. 
ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 75
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 75

14/07/2015 17:08

UMI's eMax is sold rooted, but don't let that put
you off. With Android 4.4 KitKat preinstalled out of
the box, and an upgrade to 5.0 Lollipop available,
the eMax in common with the Hammer also supports
Rootjoy. This is a program that you download to
your Windows PC or laptop, then plug in your phone
to quickly install updates, flash a new ROM of your
choice (including such things as MIUI6), install a
custom UI or back up your data. 
The interface is largely plain KitKat, but you do
also get the customisable gestures and double-tap
to unlock feature so often found on Chinese phones.
With the phone in standby mode, drawing a letter
onscreen will launch an app of your choice. 
While the eMax lacks some advanced features,
such as the fingerprint scanner found in the £147
Ulefone BeTouch, at £115 you get a great deal for
your money. Let's take a closer look. 
76 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 16
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 76

14/07/2015 17:08

Price and UK availability 
Our UMI eMax sample was shipped from Coolicool.
com, where it costs £115.59. Coolicool is based in
China, which means you may also incur import duty
when shipping items to the UK.

Design & build 
Unlike the Zero and Hammer before it, the UMI eMax
is a relatively plain-looking, unassuming device. With
a 5.5in screen this is a phablet, but it's still just 148g
and with slim bezels reasonably easy to operate
in a single hand.
From the front the eMax is marred only by the
always-visible legends for the Home, Back and
Options buttons. Switch on the screen, though, and
you instantly don't care: with a full-HD resolution
this IPS panel is crystal clear, and as sharp as many
flagship Androids at 401ppi. You absolutely should
not expect a full-HD screen at this price. Colours are

ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 77
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 77

14/07/2015 17:08

bright and realistic, even with the brightness turned
down, and viewing angles are very good. 
From the rear the eMax is less attractive,
but by no means ugly. We're confused by the
Chinese-English translation in the eMax's marketing
materials, which states: "The one piece art of frame
battery cover is made by Polycarbonate with 200
times processing brushed stainless steal [sic]."
This phone looks and feels very much like a plastic
device to us, although there is a subtle brushedmetal effect to the rear. 
The rear cover is non-removable, with sideloading trays for the two SIM slots and microSD
card. A power button and volume rocker are also
found on the eMax's right side, while there's a
headphone jack at the top and Micro-USB charging
port at the bottom. Despite its plastic feel the eMax
feels very sturdy - not as tough as the Hammer,
but tough nonetheless. 
78 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 16
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 78

14/07/2015 17:08

We're not so keen on the way the phone's 13Mp
camera sticks out at the rear, but this is becoming
increasingly common in today's ever-thinner phones.
And this is one of them: at 7.9mm thick, you'd never
guess the eMax costs just £115. As is the case on the
Samsung Galaxy S6, though, this camera is centred
and squareish, so it won't rock nearly so much when
placed flat on the table as, say, the iPhone 6. 
Also at the base of the rear is a speaker grille.
Usually this is a no-no for us, muffling sound as it
fires it into your palm, but the phablet dimensions
stopped this being a problem in our testing.

Hardware & performance 
Inside the UMI eMax is a 1.7GHz MediaTek MTK6752
octa-core 64-bit processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB
of storage and an ARM Mali-T760 MP2 graphics
processor. We have seen this setup before, such
as in the Kingzone Z1, while the Ulefone BeTouch

ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 79
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 79

14/07/2015 17:09

adds an extra gig of RAM. But the eMax appears to
have put its hardware to the best use - at least if our
benchmarks are to be believed. 
And therein lies the catch: benchmarks can't
always be trusted. Nevertheless, we found the
UMI eMax smooth and responsive in real-world use,
with no sign of lag. 
In Geekbench 3.0 the UMI eMax gave its
standout performance. We use this test to measure
processing performance, but have also recently
begun including results from its battery life test.
The eMax aced both - and the latter is certainly no
surprise, given the capacious 3780mAh cell found
inside. With OTG support (and an adaptor included
in the box), the eMax can even be used as a power
bank to charge another phone - it will fill an iPhone 6
twice, says UMI. So, you can expect several days'
life with normal use. 
The reigning champions of our Geekbench 3 tests
are the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, with the
80 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 16
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 80

14/07/2015 17:09

S6 scoring 4438 points in processing- and 4136 in
battery performance, and the S6 Edge 5076- and
4011 points. The UMI eMax got incredibly close
to those scores performance, with 4101 points in
processing-, and 4006 in battery performance.
By comparison, in processing performance the
UMI Hammer recorded 2203 points and the
Kingzone Z1 3689. We also ran the Kingzone through
the battery life test, and it scored 3074 points. 
AnTuTu is another new test to the PC Advisor lab,
and with few results with which to compare devices
for now it's rather difficult to understand what the
scores are telling us. However, through AnTuTu's
own database we can see that the UMI eMax's
41,799-point score is faster than both the Nexus 5
and LG G3, but slightly below last year's flagship
Galaxy S5. It also performed better than the UMI
Hammer (32,506) and Ulefone BeTouch (41,661). 
Graphics performance in GFXBench showed
something to be desired, and rather than delivering

ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 81
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 81

14/07/2015 17:09

scores to match the flagships the UMI eMax put in
a performance similar to that of other budget- and
mid-range phones, including the EE Harrier, Sony
Xperia M2 and Moto E 4G. Casual games will be
easily playable on the eMax, but scores of 15fps
in T-Rex and 6fps in Manhattan are nothing to
shout home about. 
Our final test is SunSpider, which measures
JavaScript performance. We ran this test both in
the preinstalled browser, in which it recorded a
very good 734ms, and in Chrome to ensure a fair
test across Android phones. Its Chrome score of
840ms is still very good (lower scores are better in
this test), and in line with the likes of the Honor 6,
Sony Xperia Z3 and Samsung Galaxy S5. 

Connectivity 
Connectivity-wise there's support for dual-band
802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0. For positioning
82 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 16
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 82

14/07/2015 17:09

you get both GPS and A-GPS with EPO, with the
separate GPS sensor claimed to offer faster results
and improved accuracy. 
NFC is missing, but you do get HotKnot, which
is MediaTek's equivalent. This lets you share files
and web pages, play games and more with other
HotKnot-connected phones. 
OTG support is perhaps more useful in the UMI
eMax than it is other Androids, given the largecapacity battery. You could use the eMax as an
emergency charger for powering other devices… or
you could be selfish and keep that juice to yourself,
and tell your friends to buy themselves power banks.
OTG also lets you hook up external storage devices,
and an adaptor is handily supplied in the box. 
The UMI eMax is a dual-SIM phone that operates
in dual-standby mode, accepting two Micro-SIMs.
It's a 4G phone, which is very good at this price,
but if you're buying the eMax in the UK check

ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 83
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 83

14/07/2015 17:09

that it will work on your network first. The eMax
operates on GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz,
WCDMA 900/1900/2100MHz and 4G-FDD
800/1800/2600MHz. 

Cameras 
As with virtually every Chinese phone we see, the
UMI is fitted with a 13Mp camera at the rear, with
f/2.2 aperture and an LED flash, and a 5Mp selfie
camera with f/2.2 aperture and 1.12um pixels.
The primary camera focuses in 0.3 seconds,
and we found it did a decent enough job when we
switched on HDR, although some detail is missing
when you zoom in. 
Real-time filters are available at the composition
stage for both cameras, and both also benefit from
a Beauty mode and Picture-in-picture. Switch to the
main camera and you get more options, including
HDR, live photo, motion tracking, panorama and

84 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 16
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 84

14/07/2015 17:09

multi-angle capture. There's support for smile-,
gesture, and voice-activated capture, too, plus a 40shot burst mode.
Note that the full 13Mp is available only in 4:3
format; in the phone's default 16:9 stills are 9.5Mp. 

Software 
Given that the UMI eMax is sold rooted and with
support for Rootjoy, there's no need to stick with
the Android 4.4 KitKat OS preinstalled out of the
box unless you want to. An upgrade to Lollipop is
available, or you can load up Rootjoy on a Windows
PC or laptop, hook up your phone and then install a
custom OS of your choice. Rootjoy also lets you load
updates, install a custom UI and back up your data. 
Stick with KitKat, though, and you won't be
disappointed. This is a fairly stock implementation of
the Android OS, with full access to Google Play and
Google apps. Very little bloatware is preinstalled,
and you may find additional apps such as ToDo and
File Manager useful. 
In common with the majority of Chinese phones
we review, customisable gestures are present.
Not only can you double-tap to wake the screen,
but you can draw a letter onscreen in standby
mode to automatically launch an app of your choice.

Verdict
UMI's eMax offers superb value for money. It's not as
good-looking as other UMI phones we've reviewed,
but the eMax has a big and bright full-HD screen for
enjoying media and more, and showed very capable
performance in the majority of our benchmarks.
Enthusiasts will appreciate the Rootjoy support.
ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 85
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 85

14/07/2015 17:09

REVIEW:
Xiaomi Wireless Gamepad
Get properly stuck in to driving-, shooting- and action
games with this Xiaomi wireless controller
£14.82 • gearbest.com •

W

ith increasingly powerful hardware and
better screens than ever, Android phones
and tablets are fast becoming the go-to
devices for portable gaming.
There's nothing inherently wrong with using a
touchscreen for gaming on an Android phone or
tablet, and in most games the onscreen controls
will be placed so as not to obscure the action.
But when it comes to driving-, shooting- and

86 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 16
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 86

14/07/2015 17:09

action games, a proper controller makes it much
easier to get stuck in. 
Wireless controllers for Android are nothing
new, but they recently caught our eye when Xiaomi
decided to join the party. Its Wireless Bluetooth
Gamepad is a mash-up of an Xbox One and a PS4
controller, very Xbox in its design and key button
placement, but its triggers are PlayStation all over. 
That's not a bad thing. The Xiaomi Wireless
Bluetooth Gamepad looks good, at 220g it has
a nice weight to it and, on the whole, it feels well
made and durable. Run your finger across the
seam between top and bottom and you will feel a
slight rough edge, but it's not a major flaw. Severe
pressure tests suggest the buttons will stand up to
more than a million times normal use for at least five
years, according to the company.
Xiaomi has carefully considered the design of
each control. There are grippy rubber tops to the

ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 87
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 87

14/07/2015 17:09

left- and right thumb sticks, but a smooth glossy
finish below that helps them move effortlessly in
any direction. The ABXY buttons and D-Pad feature
this same smooth, glossy finish, and the latter
uses four positioning balls for better accuracy
when rotating 360 degrees. Even the triggers are
designed with comfort in mind, with L2 and R2
extended and curved outward, allowing your fingers
to rest comfortably when not in use, and get a good
grip when required.
Dual vibration motors (light on the left and heavy
on the right) and a Bosch G Sensor with threeaxis gravitational acceleration lend something to
gameplay you just don't get when interacting via a
phone or tablet's touchscreen. We also found this
plastic controller won't slip from even the sweatiest
of hands mid-action, and neither will it retain a
gamer's fingerprints.
88 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 16
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 88

14/07/2015 17:09

A key difference to the Xbox One controller is
the three buttons that sit in the centre of the Xiaomi
Gamepad. You'll find Back and Menu buttons, plus
a Mi button, which is used to pair the GamePad
with an Android device. We also found two slots
at the top and one at the rear that seem to
suggest you can attach a bracket for holding
your phone or tablet; however, we could find
no such accessory online. 
The Xiaomi GamePad connects over Bluetooth
3.0 and, although we'd prefer to see energy-saving
Bluetooth 4.0 or 4.1, we found the controller worked
flawlessly with our Samsung Galaxy S6. Contrary
to what we've read about the Xiaomi Gamepad
online we were unable to pair it with an iPhone
or iPad, but the controller works fine with Android
phones and tablets, plus Android TVs and Android
set-top boxes. You can pick it up on a Windows PC
or laptop and Mac, too. 

ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 89
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 89

14/07/2015 17:09

A flaw to the Xiaomi Gamepad is its lack of a
rechargeable battery. Rather than recharging it
over Micro-USB, you must use two AA batteries.
We found two in the box, but of the standard- rather
than rechargeable variety (rechargeable batteries
are supported, but you'll need to supply your own).
Even so, Xiaomi claims its Gamepad offers one-year
battery life in standby mode, which the controller
will enter after five minutes of inactivity. 
Few Xiaomi products are officially sold in the UK,
and this is one of them. We received our review
sample from GearBest, which lists the Xiaomi
Gamepad for a tiny £14.82 - that's excellent value. 
We've never had any problems receiving goods
from GearBest. More of an issue for us was the
fact the instructions are written entirely in Chinese
(understandably, of course). So here's what you need
to know if you decide to pick up a Xiaomi Wireless
Bluetooth Gamepad. 
90 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 16
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 90

14/07/2015 17:09



First, the Wireless Bluetooth GamePad will not
work with every game installed on your Android
phone or tablet, although many are available on
Google Play that are compatible. We referred to
AndroidGamepadGames.com for a handy list of what
might work, then loaded up Asphalt 8 and Beach

Xiaomi claims that its Gamepad
offers one-year battery life in
standby mode
Buggy Racing - both heaps more fun with a wireless
gamepad than a touchscreen. 
Second, in order to get started using the Xiaomi
Wireless Gamepad you must insert the batteries
then press the Mi button. When it blinks white
you should be able to pick it up in your phone or
tablet's Bluetooth settings; pair with and connect
to the Xiaomi, then simply load up a compatible
game to begin playing.
Third, as with all gamepads the controls will differ
slightly among games. We found in each game we
tried there was a handy tutorial that explained which
buttons, sticks and triggers to push or pull to get us
to the finish line.



Verdict
It won't be for everyone, but if you're a keen
mobile gamer the Xiaomi Wireless Gamepad will
enhance your gaming experience on an Android
phone or tablet. At £14 it's incredibly good value.
ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 91
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 91

14/07/2015 17:09

Review:
Xiaomi Power Bank
The new 10,000mAh bank from Xiaomi is one of the best
we've seen yet. Here's why
£11.56 • geekbuying.com •

X

iaomi's 10,000mAh Power Bank is one of
the best we've seen, and not just in a long
time - ever. Oozing style with an elegant
and highly portable aluminium-alloy design, the
Xiaomi packs useful capacity and still represents
extraordinary value. Find out more in our Xiaomi
power bank review. 
When we first took the Xiaomi power bank out
of its box we were confused. As is standard with

92 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 16
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 92

14/07/2015 17:09

Xiaomi products, all the writing on the box and in
the supplied quick setup guide was in Chinese.
We thought we were getting a 10,000mAh power
bank, yet this thing is closer in size to the 6,000mAh
Zendure A2. 
And, indeed, the specs mentioned something
about 6250mAh. But we hadn't been duped. Unlike
many other power bank manufacturers we've
encountered, Xiaomi is completely transparent with
the fact that the entire 10,000mAh capacity will not
be available to power your phone or tablet. Most
power banks will lose between 30- and 35 percent
of their battery capacity through heat generated and
voltage conversion, so we wouldn't expect to get
any more than 7,000mAh from a 10,000mAh bank.
We think Xiaomi has been somewhat overcautious with this 6250mAh rating in any case. The
hardware inside has been optimised for increased
efficiency and durability, which Xiaomi claims is
up to 93 percent. We saw two full charges for our

ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 93
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 93

14/07/2015 17:09

Samsung Galaxy S6 (2550mAh battery), and were
still able to get a Ulefone BeTouch (also 2550mAh
battery) to 75 percent.
This isn't the only thing Xiaomi has taken extra
care over in designing its Xiaomi power bank. The
fact that it has managed to squeeze so much power
into such a compact 91x60x22mm design (725Wh/L)
means this is the first 10,000mAh power bank we've
seen that we'd happily slip into a pocket rather than
a bag. No power bank makes a better compromise
between portability and capacity. 
We can't fault the design and build quality either,
and if it weren't for the Micro-USB- rather than
Lightning input and supplied flat white cable, the
Xiaomi would look right at home in an Apple factory. 
Available in silver, gold or rose anodised
aluminium alloy, the Xiaomi power bank is CNCmilled with what the company claims is MacBook
Pro-standard surface processing. This elegantly
curved chassis features a sweatproof and
anti-corrosion surface and although
no carry case is provided (we've found
silicone cases available to buy on
Amazon for £5.79), you're unlikely to
need one - the Xiaomi power bank is
shatterproof and resistant to collision. 
The safeguards extends to the
Texas Instruments/MPS-designed
circuitry inside, and the smart-control
chips feature nine layers of protection,
covering
everything from
temperature
resistance
94 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 16
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 94

14/07/2015 17:09

and short-circuit protection to input- and output
overvoltage. The indented power button at one end
can also act as a reset button when required, for the
power bank itself will automatically begin charging
when you attach a phone or tablet. 
With a single USB output you'll be able to charge
your phone or tablet, rather than both at once, but
this helps to keep down size. Plus we like the fact
the Xiaomi supports passthrough charging, which
means you can charge both it and an attached
device at once. 
With a 10W Micro-USB input, using a similarly
specified mains adaptor you should be able to refill
the Xiaomi in roughly 5.5 hours. The USB output
is also well specified, fast at 10.5W and offering
automatic power adjustment to suit the device. 
In terms of value, the Xiaomi power bank is
unbeatable, and you'll pay twice the price for most
10,000mAh power banks. Xiaomi power banks are
available to buy in the UK, for example through
Amazon for £14.66, but Geekbuying offers a much
cheaper deal at £11.56 with free shipping.

Verdict
Perfectly balancing portability with capacity, the
Xiaomi power bank's feature list and specification
is also much bigger than you'd expect. Brilliantly
designed, the Xiaomi 10,000mAh Power Bank offers
extraordinary value.
ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 95
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 95

14/07/2015 17:09

Top 5 charts

Best
smartphones

1

2

3

4

5

Samsung Galaxy S6

Sony Xperia Z3 Compact

LG G4

LG G3

HTC One M9

Price

£349 inc VAT

£349 inc VAT

£500 inc VAT

£479 inc VAT

£579 inc VAT

Website

Samsung.com/uk

Sony.co.uk

Lg.com/uk

Lg.com/uk

HTC.com/uk

Launch date

Apr 15

Sep 14

May 15

May 14

Mar 15

OS (out of box)

Android 5.0 Lollipop

Android 4.4 KitKat

Android 5.1 Lollipop

Android 4.4 KitKat

Android 5.0 Lollipop

Processor

2.1GHz Exynos 7420

2.5GHz Snapdragon 801

Snapdragon 808 six-core

2.5GHz Snapdragon 801

Snapdragon 810 octa-core

RAM

3GB

2GB

3GB

2GB/3GB

3GB

Storage

32/64GB

16GB

32GB

16GB/32GB

32GB

MicroSD support

No

Up to 128GB

Up to 128GB

No

Up to 128GB

Graphics

Mali-T760 GPU

Adreno 330

Adreno 418

Adreno 330

Adreno 430

Screen size

5.1in

4.6in

4.5in

5.5in

5in

Screen resolution

1440x2560

720x1280

1440x2560

1440x2560

1080x1920

Pixel density

577ppi

319ppi

538ppi

534ppi

441ppi

Screen technology

Super AMOLED

IPS

IPS

IPS

IPS

Front camera

5Mp

2.2Mp

8Mp

2Mp

4Mp (UltraPixel)

Rear camera

16Mp, LED flash

20.7Mp, LED flash

16Mp

13Mp, LED flash

20Mp

Video recording

4K

4K

4K

4K

4K

Cellular connectivity

4G

4G

4G

4G

4G

SIM type

Nano-SIM

Nano-SIM

Micro-SIM

Micro-SIM

Nano-SIM

Dual-SIM as standard

No

No

No

No

No

Wi-Fi

802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band

802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band

802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band

802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band

802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band

Bluetooth

Bluetooth 4.1

Bluetooth 4.0

Bluetooth 4.1

Bluetooth 4.0 (aptX)

Bluetooth 4.1 (aptX)

GPS

GPS, Glonass

A-GPS, Glonass

A-GPS, Glonass

A-GPS, Glonass

GPS, Glonass

NFC

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

USB OTG

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Extra features

Heart-rate sensor,
fingerprint scanner

Waterproof,
PS4 Remote Play

24-bit/192kHz audio,
rear key

24-bit/192kHz audio,
rear key

BoomSound speakers

Geekbench 3.0 (single)

1347

Not tested

Not tested

Not tested

1160

Geekbench 3.0 (multi)

4438

2800

3513

2465

3378

SunSpider

1048ms

944ms

715ms

959ms

867ms

GFXBench: T-Rex

30fps

41fps

25fps

20fps

50fps

GFXBench: Manhattan

14fps

26fps

9fps

Not tested

24fps

Battery

2550mAh, non-removable

2600mAh, non-removable

3000mAh removable

3000mAh, removable, Qi

2840mAh, non-removable

Dimensions

143.4x70.5x6.8mm

64.9x127x8.6mm

64.9x127x8.6mm

75x146x8.9mm

70x145x9.7mm

Weight

138g

129g

155g

149g

157g

Warranty

1 year

2 years

1 year

1 year

1 year

FULL REVIEW

TINYURL.COM/PC2KOYQ

TINYURL.COM/NBBUY82

TINYURL.COM/NBBUY82

TINYURL.COM/OA76T73

TINYURL.COM/PUS2XEJ

Build rating
Features rating
Performance rating
Value rating
Overall rating

96 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 16
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd
TEST96CENTRE

September 2015 www.pcadvisor.co.uk/reviews
129
14/07/2015

17:09

Top 5 charts

Best
budget
smartphones

1

2

3

4

5

Motorola Moto E 4G 2015

Vodafone Smart Prime 6

EE Harrier Mini

Motorola Moto G 3G 2014

Motorola Moto G 4G 2014

Price

£109 inc VAT

£79 inc VAT

£99 inc VAT

£140 inc VAT

£117 inc VAT

Website

Motorola.co.uk

Vodafone.co.uk

EE.co.uk

Motorola.co.uk

Motorola.co.uk

Launch date

Feb 15

June 15

June 15

Sep 14

May 14

OS (out of box)

Android 5.0 Lollipop

Android 5.0.2 Lollipop

Android 5.0 Lollipop

Android 4.4 KitKat

Android 4.4 KitKat

Processor

1.2GHz Snapdragon 410

1.2GHz Snapdragon 410

1.2GHz

1.2GHz Snapdragon 400

1.2GHz Snapdragon 400

RAM

1GB

1GB

1GB

1GB

1GB

Storage

8GB

8GB

8GB

8GB

8GB

MicroSD support

Up to 32GB

Up to 64GB

Not stated

Up to 32GB

Up to 32GB

Graphics

Adreno 306

Adreno 306

Not stated

Adreno 305

Adreno 305

Screen size

4.5in

5in

4.7in

5in

4.5in

Screen resolution

540x960

720x1280

720x1280

720x1280

720x1280

Pixel density

245ppi

294ppi

312ppi

294ppi

326ppi

Screen technology

IPS

IPS

IPS

IPS

IPS

Front camera

0.3Mp

2Mp

2Mp

2Mp

1.3Mp

Rear camera

5Mp

8Mp

8Mp, LED flash

8Mp, LED flash

5Mp, LED flash

Video recording

720p

1080p

720p

720p

720p

Cellular connectivity

4G

4G

4G

3G

4G

SIM type

Micro-SIM

Micro-SIM

Micro-SIM

Micro-SIM

Micro-SIM

Dual-SIM as standard

No

No

No

Yes

No

Wi-Fi

802.11b/g/n

802.11b/g/n

802.11b/g/n

802.11b/g/n

802.11b/g/n

Bluetooth

Bluetooth 4.0

Bluetooth 4.0

Bluetooth 4.0

Bluetooth 4.0

Bluetooth 4.0

GPS

GPS, A-GPS, Glonass

A-GPS

A-GPS, Glonass

A-GPS, Glonass

A-GPS, Glonass

NFC

No

No

No

No

No

USB OTG

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Extra features

Double-twist launches
camera, lockscreen alerts

FM radio

Wi-Fi calling

Stereo speakers

None

Geekbench 3.0 (single)

464

464

Not tested

340

334

Geekbench 3.0 (multi)

1463

1401

1549

1144

1168

SunSpider

1301ms

1301ms

1880ms

1526ms

1504ms

GFXBench: T-Rex

13fps

9.4fps

10fps

11fps

11fps

GFXBench: Manhattan

6fps

3.8fps

4fps

4fps

Not tested

Battery

2390mAh, non-removable

N/S, non-removable

2000mAh, non-removable

2390mAh, non-removable

2070mAh, non-removable

Dimensions

66.8x5.2-12.3x129.9mm

141.65x71.89x9mm

138x67.9x9.5mm

71x142x11mm

66x130x11.6mm

Weight

145g

155g

124g

155g

143g

Warranty

1 year

1 year

1 year

1 year

1 year

FULL REVIEW

TINYURL.COM/Q7Q9NXR

TINYURL.COM/Q5DSNHE

TINYURL.COM/PXTROH4

TINYURL.COM/OAE6AH5

TINYURL.COM/ONOLUT7

Build rating
Features rating
Performance rating
Value rating
Overall rating

ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 97
www.pcadvisor.co.uk/reviews September 2015
Android130
Advisor
Issue 16.indd 97

14/07/2015 17:09
TEST CENTRE

Top 5 charts

Best
phablets

1

2

3

4

5

Samsung Galaxy Note 4

LG G4

LG G3

OnePlus One

Google Nexus 6

Price

£599 inc VAT

£500 inc VAT

£479 inc VAT

£229 inc VAT

£499 inc VAT

Website

Samsung.com/uk

Lg.com/uk

Lg.com/uk

Oneplus.net

Play.google.com

Launch date

Sep 14

May 15

May 14

Jul 14

Oct 14

Android 5.0 Lollipop

Build rating
Features rating
Performance rating
Value rating
Overall rating
OS (out of box)

Android 4.4 KitKat

Android 5.1 Lollipop

Android 4.4 KitKat

Cyanogen 11S (Android 4.4)

Processor

2.7GHz Snapdragon 805

1.82GHz Snapdragon 808

2.5GHz Snapdragon 801

2.5GHz Snapdragon 801

2.7GHz Snapdragon 805

RAM

3GB

3GB

2GB/3GB

3GB

3GB

Storage

32GB

32GB

16GB/32GB

16GB/64GB

32GB/64GB

MicroSD support

Up to 128GB

Up to 128GB

No

No

No

Graphics

Adreno 420

Adreno 418

Adreno 330

Adreno 330

Adreno 420

Screen size

5.7in

5.5in

5.5in

5.5in

5.96in

Screen resolution

1440x2560

1440x2560

1440x2560

1920x1080

1440x2560

Pixel density

515ppi

538ppi

534ppi

401ppi

493ppi

Screen technology

Super AMOLED

IPS

IPS

IPS

IPS

Front camera

3.7Mp

8Mp

2Mp

5Mp

2Mp

Rear camera

16Mp, LED flash

16Mp, LED flash

13Mp, LED flash

13Mp, LED flash

13Mp, LED flash

Video recording

4K

4K

4K

4K

4K

Cellular connectivity

4G

4G

4G

4G

4G

SIM type

Micro-SIM

Micro-SIM

Micro-SIM

Micro-SIM

Nano-SIM

Dual-SIM as standard

No

No

No

No

No

Wi-Fi

802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band

802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band

802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band

802.11b/g/n/ac, dual-band

802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band

Bluetooth

Bluetooth 4.1

Bluetooth 4.0

Bluetooth 4.0 (aptX)

Bluetooth 4.0

Bluetooth 4.1

GPS

GPS, Glonass

A-GPS, Glonass

A-GPS, Glonass

GPS, Glonass

GPS, Glonass

NFC

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

USB OTG

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Extra features

Fingerprint, UV, heart-rate
sensors, S Pen stylus

24bit/192kHz audio,
rear key, IR blaster

24bit/192kHz audio,
rear key

None

None

Geekbench 3.0 (single)

Not tested

Not tested

Not tested

969

Not tested

Geekbench 3.0 (multi)

3272

3513

2465

2570

3304

SunSpider

1367ms

715ms

959ms

877ms

791ms

GFXBench: T-Rex

27fps

25fps

20fps

29fps

27fps

GFXBench: Manhattan

11fps

9fps

Not tested

Not tested

12fps

Battery

3220mAh, removable

3000mAh, removable, Qi

3000mAh, removable, Qi

3100mAh, non-removable

3220mAh, non-removable, Qi

Dimensions

78.6x153.5x8.5mm

76x149x6.3-9.8mm

75x146x8.9mm

75.9x152.9x8.9mm

82x159x10.4mm

Weight

176g

155g

149g

162g

183g

Warranty

2 years

1 year

1 year

1 year

1 year

FULL REVIEW

TINYURL.COM/PNHJCZ4

TINYURL.COM/QDGU48T

TINYURL.COM/OA76T73

TINYURL.COM/PK3S5CP

TINYURL.COM/NLZ4UD9

98 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 16
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd
TEST98CENTRE

September 2015 www.pcadvisor.co.uk/reviews
131
14/07/2015

17:09

Top 5 charts

Best
7- & 8in tablets

1

2

3

Google Nexus 7

Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4

Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact Apple iPad mini 2

4

5
Google Nexus 9

Price

£199 inc VAT

£319 inc VAT

£299 inc VAT

£239 inc VAT

£319 inc VAT

Website

Play.google.com

Samsung.com/uk

Sony.co.uk

Apple.com/uk

Play.google.com

Launch date

Aug 13

Aug 14

Sep 14

Oct 13

Oct 14

Build rating
Features rating
Performance rating
Value rating
Overall rating
OS (out of box)

Android 4.3 Jelly Bean

Android 4.4 KitKat

Android 4.4 KitKat

iOS 8.2

Android 5.0 Lollipop

Processor

1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro

Exynos 5420, octa-core

2.5GHz Snapdragon 801

Apple A7, Apple M7

2.3GHz nVidia Tegra K1

RAM

2GB

3GB

3GB

1GB

2GB

Storage

16GB/32GB

16GB/32GB

16GB/32GB

16GB/32GB

16GB/32GB

MicroSD support

No

Up to 128GB

Up to 128GB

No

No

Graphics

Adreno 320

ARM Mali-T628 MP6

Adreno 330

Apple A7

192-core Kepler

Screen size

7in

8.4in

8in

7.9in

8.9in

Screen resolution

1920x1200

2560x1440

1920x1200

2048x1536

2048x1536

Pixel density

323ppi

359ppi

283ppi

326ppi

287ppi

Screen technology

IPS

Super AMOLED

IPS

IPS

IPS

Front camera

1.2Mp

2.1Mp

2.2Mp

1.2Mp

1.6Mp

Rear camera

5Mp

8Mp, LED flash

8.1Mp

5Mp

8Mp, LED flash

Video recording

1080p

1080p

1080p

1080p

1080p

Cellular connectivity

4G version available

4G version available

4G version available

4G version available

4G version available

Wi-Fi

802.11b/g/n, dual-band

802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band

802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band

802.11a/b/g/n, dual-band

802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band

Bluetooth

Bluetooth 4.0

Bluetooth 4.0

Bluetooth 4.0

Bluetooth 4.0

Bluetooth 4.1

GPS

GPS, Glonass

GPS, Glonass

A-GPS, Glonass

A-GPS, Glonass

GPS, Glonass

NFC

Yes

No

Yes

No

Yes

USB OTG

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Fingerprint scanner

No

Yes

No

No

No

Waterproof

No

No

Yes

No

No

Extra features

None

Stereo speakers

PS4 Remote Play,
stereo speakers

None

BoomSound speakers

Geekbench 3.0 (single)

Not tested

Not tested

Not tested

Not tested

1904

Geekbench 3.0 (multi)

Not tested

2765

2708

Not tested

3352

SunSpider

1136ms

1089ms

1017ms

397ms

955ms

GFXBench: T-Rex

Not tested

14fps

28fps

Not tested

48fps

GFXBench: Manhattan

Not tested

3fps

11fps

Not tested

22fps

Battery

3950mAh, non-removable, Qi 4900mAh, non-removable

4500mAh, non-removable

6470mAh, non-removable

6700mAh, non-removable

Dimensions

200x114x8.65mm

126x213x6.6mm

213x124x6.4mm

134.7x7.5x200mm

153.7x228.3x8mm

Weight

299g

294g

270g

331g

425g

Warranty

1 year

1 year

1 year

1 year

1 year

FULL REVIEW

TINYURL.COM/PUJDJBY

TINYURL.COM/OUEM64Z

TINYURL.COM/NJ6VHEO

TINYURL.COM/PCJPB5L

TINYURL.COM/NQ6K77Y

ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 99
www.pcadvisor.co.uk/reviews September 2015
Android132
Advisor
Issue 16.indd 99

14/07/2015 17:09
TEST CENTRE

Top 5 charts

Best
9- & 10in
tablets

1

2

3

4

5

Apple iPad Air 2

Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5

Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet

Apple iPad Air

Google Nexus 10

Price

£399 inc VAT

£399 inc VAT

£369 inc VAT

£319 inc VAT

£389 inc VAT

Website

Apple.com/uk

Samsung.com/uk

Sony.co.uk

Apple.com/uk

Play.google.com

Launch date

Oct 14

Aug 14

Mar 14

Oct 13

Oct 12

Build rating
Features rating
Performance rating
Value rating
Overall rating
OS (out of box)

iOS 8.2

Android 4.4 KitKat

Android 4.4 KitKat

iOS 8.2

Android 4.2 Jelly Bean

Processor

Apple A8X, Apple M8

Exynos 5420, octa-core

2.3GHz Snapdragon 801

Apple A7, Apple M7

1.7GHz Exynos 5250

RAM

2GB

3GB

3GB

1GB

2GB

Storage

16GB/64GB/128GB

16GB/32GB

16GB

16GB/32GB

16GB/32GB

MicroSD support

No

Up to 128GB

Up to 64GB

No

No

Graphics

Apple A8X

ARM Mali-T628 MP6

Adreno 330

Apple A7

ARM Mali T604

Screen size

9.7in

10.5in

10.1in

9.7in

10.1in

Screen resolution

2048x1536

2560x1600

1920x1200

2048x1536

2560x1600

Pixel density

264ppi

288ppi

224ppi

264ppi

300ppi

Screen technology

IPS

Super AMOLED

IPS

IPS

IPS

Front camera

1.2Mp

2.1Mp

2.2Mp

1.2Mp

1.9Mp

Rear camera

8Mp

8Mp, LED flash

8.1Mp

5Mp

5Mp, LED flash

Video recording

1080p

1080p

1080p

1080p

1080p

Cellular connectivity

4G version available

4G version available

4G version available

4G version available

No

Wi-Fi

802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band

802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band

802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band

802.11a/b/g/n, dual-band

802.11b/g/n, dual-band

Bluetooth

Bluetooth 4.0

Bluetooth 4.0

Bluetooth 4.0

Bluetooth 4.0

Bluetooth 4.0

GPS

A-GPS, Glonass

GPS, Glonass

GPS, Glonass

A-GPS, Glonass

GPS, Glonass

NFC

Yes (for Apple Pay)

No

Yes

No

Yes

USB OTG

No

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Fingerprint scanner

Yes

Yes

No

No

No

Waterproof

No

No

Yes

No

No

Extra features

None

Stereo speakers

PlayStation certified

None

None

Geekbench 3.0 (single)

1816

Not tested

967

1487

Not tested

Geekbench 3.0 (multi)

4523

2769

2719

2703

Not tested

SunSpider

Not tested

1079ms

1099ms

400ms

1329ms

GFXBench: T-Rex

48fps

14fps

27fps

23fps

Not tested

GFXBench: Manhattan

Not tested

3fps

Not tested

Not tested

Not tested

Battery

7340mAh, non-removable

7900mAh, non-removable

6000mAh, non-removable

8600mAh, non-removable

9000mAh, non-removable

Dimensions

240x169.5x6.1mm

247x177x6.6mm

266x172x6.4mm

240x169x7.5mm

264x178x8.9mm

Weight

437g

465g

439g

469g

603g

Warranty

1 year

1 year

1 year

1 year

1 year

FULL REVIEW

TINYURL.COM/PLQXWSZ

TINYURL.COM/OESDFZQ

TINYURL.COM/M8BZZUN

TINYURL.COM/NVOOF6H

TINYURL.COM/PUAG9RN

100 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 16
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd
TEST100
CENTRE

September 2015 www.pcadvisor.co.uk/reviews
133
14/07/2015

17:10

Top 5 charts

Best
smartwatches

1

2

3

4

5

LG G Watch R

Motorola Moto 360

Sony Smartwatch 3

Asus ZenWatch

LG G Watch

Price

£195 inc VAT

£199 inc VAT

£189 inc VAT

£199 inc VAT

£159 inc VAT

Website

Lg.com/uk

Motorola.co.uk

Sony.co.uk

Uk.asus.com

Lg.com/uk

Launch date

Nov 14

Oct 14

Sep 14

Jan 15

Jul 14

Operating system

Android Wear

Android Wear

Android Wear

Android Wear

Android Wear

Compatibility

Android

Android

Android

Android

Android

Display

1.3in 320x320 P-OLED

1.56in 290x320 LCD

1.6in 320x320 LCD

1.6in 320x320 AMOLED

1.65in 280x280 IPS

Processor

1.2GHz Snapdrgon 400

TI OMAP 3

1.2GHz ARM V7

1.2GHz Snapdragon 400

1.2GHz Snapdragon 400

RAM

512MB

512MB

512MB

512MB

512MB

Storage

4GB

4GB

4GB

4GB

4GB

Waterproof

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Battery

410mAh

320mAh

420mAh

1.4Wh

400mAh

Dimensions

46.4x53.6x9.7mm

46x11.5mm

36x51x10mm

51 x39.9x7.9-9.4mm

37.9x46.5x9.95mm

Weight

62g

49g (leather band model)

45g

75g

63g

Warranty

1 year

1 year

1 year

1 year

1 year

FULL REVIEW

TINYURL.COM/QATY8FT

TINYURL.COM/O9C69K6

TINYURL.COM/OQVZ3PN

TINYURL.COM/NN7GA7W

TINYURL.COM/Q84WL6L

Overall rating

Best
smartwatches

6

7

8

9

10

Pebble Steel

Sony Smartwatch 2

Samsung Gear 2 Neo

Martian Notifier

Samsung Gear 2

Price

£179 inc VAT

£125 inc VAT

£169 inc VAT

£99 inc VAT

£260 inc VAT

Website

Getpebble.com

Sony.co.uk

Samsung.com/uk

Martianwatches.com

Samsung.com/uk

Launch date

Sep 14

Jun 13

Apr 14

Dec 14

Apr 14

Operating system

Proprietary

Proprietary

Tizen

Proprietary

Tizen

Compatibility

iOS, Android

Android

Samsung phones

iOS, Android

Samsung phones

Display

1.26in 144x168 E-Paper

1.6in 220x176 LCD

1.6in 320x320 Super AMOLED 1.01in 96x16 OLED

1.6in 320x320 Super AMOLED

Processor

Not specified

Not specified

Dual-core

Not specified

1GHz dual-core

RAM

512MB

Not specified

512MB

Not specified

512MB

Storage

Not specified

Not specified

4GB

Not specified

4GB

Waterproof

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Battery

130mAh

Not specified

300mAh

Not specified

300mAh

Dimensions

46x34x10.5mm

42x41x9mm

58.8x37.9x10mm

43x43x12.7mm

36.9x58.4x10mm

Weight

156g

123g

55g

52g

68g

Warranty

1 year

1 year

1 year

1 year

1 year

FULL REVIEW

TINYURL.COM/PPBXV7J

TINYURL.COM/P4X7AZM

TINYURL.COM/Q68FS5U

TINYURL.COM/NS9E8GK

TINYURL.COM/QXCZ8J3

Overall rating

ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 101
www.pcadvisor.co.uk/reviews September 2015
Android134
Advisor
Issue 16.indd 101

14/07/2015 17:10
TEST CENTRE

Top 5 charts

Best
activity
trackers

1

2

3

4

5

Fitbit Charge HR

Fitbit Surge

Fitbit One

Microsoft Band

Fitbit Charge

Price

£119 inc VAT

£199 inc VAT

£79 inc VAT

£169 inc VAT

£99 inc VAT

Website

Fitbit.com/uk

Fitbit.com/uk

Fitbit.com/uk

Microsoft.com/en-gb

Fitbit.com/uk

Launch date

Jan 15

Jan 15

Jan 14

May 15

Nov 14

Compatibility

iOS, Android, Windows

iOS, Android, Windows

iOS, Android

iOS, Android, Windows

iOS, Android, Windows

Display

OLED

Touchscreen

OLED

TFT

OLED

Pedometer

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Heart-rate monitor

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

No

Sleep tracking

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Alarm

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Third-party app synching Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Call notifications

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Waterproof

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Battery life

5+ days

5 days

10-14 days

2 days

7-10 days

Dimensions, weight

21.1mm, 26g

34mm, 51g

35.5x28x9.65mm, 8g

11x33mm, 60g

21.1mm, 24g

FULL REVIEW

TINYURL.COM/PCKV4SU

TINYURL.COM/O83DR47

TINYURL.COM/PT2TC6F

TINYURL.COM/LHMQ2AC

TINYURL.COM/PFMQ9KH

Overall rating

Best
activity
trackers

6

7

8

9

10

Basis Peak

Xiaomi Mi Band

Jawbone Up 2

Jawbone Up Move

Jawbone Up24

Price

£169 inc VAT

£29 inc VAT

£89 inc VAT

£39 inc VAT

£99 inc VAT

Website

En-gb.mybasis.com

Mobilefun.co.uk

Jawbone.com

Jawbone.com

Jawbone.com

Launch date

Apr 15

Feb 15

June 15

Nov 14

Mar 14

Compatibility

iOS, Android

iOS, Android

iOS, Android

iOS, Android

iOS, Android

Display

E-Ink

No

No

No

No

Pedometer

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Heart-rate monitor

Yes

No

No

No

No

Sleep tracking

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Alarm

No

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Third-party app synching No

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Call notifications

Yes

Yes

No

No

No

Waterproof

Yes

Yes

Splashproof

Splashproof

Splashproof

Battery life

4 days

30 days

7 days

Six months, non-rechargable

7 days

Dimensions, weight

33x43x10mm, 51g

157-205mm, 13g

220x11.5x3-8.5mm, 25g

27.6x27.6x9.8mm, 6.8g

S: 19g, M: 22g, L: 23g

FULL REVIEW

TINYURL.COM/LHMQ2AC

TINYURL.COM/QZ3YVCR

TINYURL.COM/PHT98ZK

TINYURL.COM/PFXQFNE

TINYURL.COM/ND8YMB8

Overall rating

102 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 16
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd
TEST102
CENTRE

September 2015 www.pcadvisor.co.uk/reviews
135
14/07/2015

17:10

Top 5 charts

Best
power banks

1

2

3

4

5

Zendure A2

Anker Astro Mini

Intocircuit Power Castle

Intocircuit PowerMini

Lumsing 10400mAh

Price

£33 inc VAT

£13 inc VAT

£22 inc VAT

£10 inc VAT

£17 inc VAT

Website

Zendure.com

Ianker.com

Hisgadget.com

Hisgadget.com

Lumsing.com

Launch date

May 14

Apr 13

Mar 13

Jul 14

Apr 14

Capacity

6000mAh

3200mAh

11200mAh

3000mAh

10400mAh

Input

1x 7.5W Micro-USB

1x 4W Micro-USB

1x 5W Micro-USB

1x 5W Micro-USB

1x 7.5W Micro-USB

Outputs

1x 10.5W USB

1x 5W USB

1x 10.5W USB, 1x 5W USB

1x 5W USB

1x 10.5W USB, 1x 5W USB

Auto-on/-off

Yes

No

Auto-on

No

No

Passthrough charging

Yes

No

Yes

No

No

Status indicator

4 LEDs

No

LCD screen

3 LEDs

4 LEDs

LED flashlight

No

No

Yes

Yes

No

Carry case

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Dimensions

93x48x23mm

92x23x23mm

110x71x22mm

110x20x20mm

138x59x20mm

Weight

137g

80g

280g

118g

354g

Warranty

1 year

18 months

1 year

1 year

1 year

FULL REVIEW

TINYURL.COM/NGCNO5F

TINYURL.COM/PZHUHJO

TINYURL.COM/P5M9NKE

TINYURL.COM/KWONE54

TINYURL.COM/Q9DYG5G

Overall rating

Best
desktop
chargers

1

2

3

4

5

iClever USB Travel Charger

Zendure Turbo Charger

Olixar Smart IC Charger

Inateck USB Charger

Lumsing 5-Port Charger

Price

£20 inc VAT

£25 inc VAT

£34 inc VAT

£15 inc VAT

£8 inc VAT

Website

Hisgadget.com

Zendure.com

Mobilefun.co.uk

Inateck.com

Lumsing.com

Launch date

Oct 14

May 14

Feb 15

Feb 14

Apr 14

50W

Overall rating
Max output
Outputs:

40W

50W

35W

30W

USB 1 12W USB

12W USB

12.5W USB

10.5W USB

10W USB

USB 2 12W USB

12W USB

12.5W USB

10.5W USB

10W USB

USB 3 12W USB

12W USB

12.5W USB

5W USB

10W USB

USB 4 12W USB

12W USB

12.5W USB

5W USB

5W USB

USB 5 12W USB

12W USB

12.5W USB

5W USB

5W USB

USB 6 12W USB

N/A

12.5W USB

N/A

N/A

Colours available

Black

Black, white

White

Black

Black

Dimensions

100x69x27mm

97x60x27mm

100x69x26mm

100x55x20mm

136x68x30mm

Weight

180g

166g

189g

340g

422g

Warranty

1 year

1 year

2 years

1 year

1 year

FULL REVIEW

TINYURL.COM/MPA4DWC

TINYURL.COM/NKYNJ7P

TINYURL.COM/OCZXK93

TINYURL.COM/KBXUHDF

TINYURL.COM/LK22OGY

HEAD TO TINYURL.COM/QCD8J7Y FOR OUR BUYING
ADVICE
ISSUE 16 • ANDROID ADVISOR 103
Android Advisor Issue 16.indd
TEST103
CENTRE

September 2015 www.pcadvisor.co.uk/reviews
145
14/07/2015

17:10

Android Advisor Issue 16.indd 104

14/07/2015 17:10

Sponsor Documents

Or use your account on DocShare.tips

Hide

Forgot your password?

Or register your new account on DocShare.tips

Hide

Lost your password? Please enter your email address. You will receive a link to create a new password.

Back to log-in

Close